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Happy Meals are a specific product McDonald's sells that is designed to be marketed directly to children through advertising that appeals exclusively to them.

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The Happy Meal was started in 1979, and began with dinky little McDonalds-themed trinkets alongside kid's meals. Shortly afterwards, the chain made toys to promote the release of the first Star Trek film and it took off from there as a big venue for licensed properties, with Disney getting on board in 1987, and then the "beanie baby" mania of the 90s, which were tiny stuffed toys sold in Happy Meals.

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No, not the fun kind. McDonald's tried to make an "adult Happy Meal" in 2004 that had a water bottle and a pedometer instead of a toy, and it flopped within two weeks.

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Experts such as those with the Children’s Advertising Review Unit, a division of the Council of Better Business Bureaus, say that advertising to children is immoral and unethical because even if kids are media-savvy it doesn't stop them from being influenced by advertising.

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McDonald's faces controversy on occasion from parent's groups and the CARU due to their focus on the toy that comes with a Happy Meal instead of the food inside, which is criticized for making children more interested in the food through the appeal of licensed toys.
San Francisco even went so far as to ban them from meals, which in a study by the CDC was proven to have health benefits for the local children.

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San Francisco banned Happy Meals and accused them of using the toy to push unhealthy food to children. McDonald's protests, but a judge upheld the ban, as it was actually having positive health effects.

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San Francisco's city board of supervisors approved a measure that banned McDonald's from offering free toys in happy meals. Erica Hill reports.

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According to Susan Linn, Director of the Campaign for a Commerical-Free Childhood, it does not matter if kids are media literate. She is quoted as saying, "“It’s important to teach children critical thinking skills, but…there’s research showing connections between skepticism and media literacy, but none that show a connection between media literacy and buying habits."
Kids might know something is not healthy for them but not care because of the persuasive effect of something marketed directly to them.

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McDonald's has a targeted marketing strategy aimed at children, and regardless of whether or not they attempt to make the meal healthier, the brand is still associated with fast food, and even ethical advertising encouraging media-savvy kids will not necessarily influence their buying choices. How much can parents do, and how much should companies be responsible for ethical, limited advertising?

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Sources and Hyperlinks for Further Reading

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Sources and Hyperlinks for Further Reading

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Source 1: Kids' TV Ads for Fast Food Work Just as They're Supposed To

Source 2:
Advertising that Targets Kids Makes Them Eat More Fast Food

Source 3:
Children who see Happy Meal advertising 'put burger and fries before healthy choice'

Source 4:
Marketing to Children: Accepting Responsibility

Source 5:

Children’s Advertising Watchdog Criticizes McDonald’s Ad

Source 6:

McDonald's slapped down for focusing its Happy Meal advertising on the toy and not the food

Source 7:
McDonald’s Happy Meal ad criticized for focusing too much on toy instead of meal

Source 8:

The Past, Present, and Future of Happy Meal Toys

Source 9:
San Francisco Bans Happy Meal Toys

Source 10:
Why Happy Meals Toys are Controversial in California