It didn’t seem possible to find a mascot creepier than Ronald McDonald, but McDonald’s appears to have outdone themselves with the launch of their newest mascot, Happy. It (he?) is an animated happy meal box. Perhaps surprising the fast food chain, its customers were less than pleased.
Originally debuting in France in 2009, Happy was brought to America to encourage healthier eating habits in children, and to promote a 50-calorie side yogurt to go with a kid’s happy meal. But it appears Americans are not getting the message.
In fact, customers are appalled and have not been holding back their criticisms. One customer, John Esty, called this animated happy meal box “nightmare food,” and Onika Abbott’s reaction – “so creepy” – seems to sum up the public’s overall feedback.
“Perhaps everyone and their children will be too frightened by Happy to ever eat at McDonald’s again?” asked Gawker’s Aleksander Chan. The Washington Post’s Mark Berman dubbed Happy “the McDonald’s Happy Meal Box Who Came To Life Because You Didn’t Clean Your Room Last Night.
” It’s hard to imagine children falling in love with this wide-mouthed, screeching box but who knows—maybe Happy will grow on us. Only time will tell.
It’s not all bad for McDonald’s, which has a history of odd decisions with respect to its mascots. The Lone Jogger, which debuted in the 1970s, still probably puts Happy to shame:
