McDs Happy Meal Toy Testing

As a part of their wider sustainability promise, McDonald’s are focusing on new sustainable materials to create toys for their Happy Meals. New toys are developed for existing and new IP by TMS, and are included in Happy meals across the globe. Toys are an integral element of the Happy meal experience, and so there is a constant need to make sure they are as exciting and relevant for children as possible!

Challenge

After decades of plastic toys, the Happy Meal audience has become accustomed to a certain look, feel, robustness and longevity with Happy Meal toys. As of now, it can be difficult to match plastic in these categories with more sustainable materials such as paper. As well as the physical toy markers, there is also the challenge of matching the standards of play set by plastics - ensuring toys made from these new materials keep fun and appeal at the core.
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To support TMS & McDonald’s with navigating this challenge, KI were asked to test and refine the toys with the help of children from across the world, to explore and roadmap how to maximise innovation, excitement and play!

Approach

TMS developed a variety of toy prototypes using sustainable materials such as Paper and Green PE, for KI to test with children and parents. The toys we tested were for some of the biggest IPs that have partnered with McDonald’s Happy Meal, including: Pokémon, Jurassic World, Sonic The Hedgehog, Crocs and more.

Friendship pairs of children aged 4-9 were recruited in markets including the UK, Germany, France, USA, and Japan. Their most important job? To play!

We onboard the children that work with us as ‘toy designers’ - whose job it is to help us understand how to make these toys better. We often find that this greater context and shared responsibility leads to better positive outcomes for both kids and our research!

The prototypes were presented to children in Happy Meal boxes to represent how they would be seen in a real world setting. The nonverbal is just as important as what children say here - and KI observed children’s play, along with open discussions, to explore:

The toy’s ‘WOW’ factor - children’s immediate reaction to taking the toy out of the Happy Meal (Excitement? Disappointment? Confusion? Immediate play?)
The toy’s relative performance - determined by children’s enthusiasm to play with it (relative to other toys in market with the same play patterns: puzzles, figures, games)
The toy’s robustness - how much crash and bash could the material endure?
The toy’s perceived value as a Happy Meal toy - does it meet children’s and parent’s expectations of what a Happy Meal toy should be?

Outcome

Our analysis process was one that considered areas such as instant appeal and play, ease of understanding, robustness, long-term play, the developmental capabilities of children and more - to support decision making and optimisations.

After analysis, KI recommended the best performing toys and materials to TMS and McDonald’s, and suggested any necessary refinements needed to benefit impact, play and appeal.

KI also made sure to highlight insights around certain toy features and play patterns that are transferable to future sustainable toys developed by TMS - in order to pre-optimise toys whilst in development.

The toys we supported TMS & McDonald’s to optimise have all been a part of successful Happy Meal promotions - and there are still some more to come!

McDonald's & TMS

Challenge

Approach

Outcome