In 1977, the McDonald 's restaurant owner clients who regularly met with Bernstein were looking for ways to create a better experience for families with kids. Bernstein reasoned that if kids could get a packaged meal all their own instead of just picking at their parent 's food, everybody would be happier. He had often noticed his young son at the breakfast table poring over the various items on cereal boxes and thought, "Why not do that for McDonald 's? The package is the key! '' He then called in his creative team and had them mock up some paperboard boxes fashioned to resemble lunch pails with the McDonald 's Golden Arches for handles. They called in nationally known children 's illustrators and offered them the blank slate of filling the box 's sides and tops with their own colorful ideas from art to jokes to games to comic strips to stories to fantasy: whatever they thought might appeal to kids, at least 8 items per box. Inside the box would be a burger, small fries, packet of cookies and a surprise gift. A small drink would accompany these items. Bernstein named it The Happy Meal and it was successfully introduced with television and radio spots and in - store posters in the Kansas City market in October 1977. Other markets followed and the national roll - out happened in 1979.
when did the first happy meal come out
October 1977