Antonio Bramante is the lead plaintiff in a newly certified lawsuit that alleges McDonald's is unlawfully aiming advertising at children under 13 years of age. Zukran argues promotion of the popular children's meals contravenes Quebec's consumer protection law. Mr Bramante, a father of three young children, says he eats at McDonald's about once every two weeks on the urging of his children, according to the court documents. In court, McDonald's argued that it limits advertising of Happy Meals to restaurant interiors and drive-thrus, and the boxes the meals are packed in make no mention of toys. The Quebec father says the toys are often linked to popular film releases and his children often want to return to the restaurant so they can complete their set of toys. He also claims the restaurant is directly targeting children by displaying the Happy Meals toys at their eye level. Montreal lawyer Joey Zukran sought authorization for the lawsuit on behalf of a father who, according to court documents, spent hundreds of dollars on the meals during regular visits to the fast-food restaurant with his children. Quebec prohibits marketing to children under the age of 13, making it one of a handful of jurisdictions in the world to essentially ban all advertising geared towards children. The class action authorization comes as the federal government is bringing in new rules to forbid marketing of unhealthy foods to children. Zukran, who specializes in class action and consumer protection cases, said the suit would cover anyone who has purchased a Happy Meal for a child under the age of 13 at any Quebec McDonald's restaurant since Nov. 15, 2013. He will also ask for compensation amounting to the full cost of the toys and meals as well as punitive damages for a practice that has been going on for 25 years. In a statement, McDonald's Canada told the BBC it has received the ruling certifying the lawsuit and plans to examine it carefully. "We are aware of our obligations under Quebec's advertising laws and reiterate that we do not believe this class action has merit," it said. The restaurant chain also argued it abides by a voluntary agreement signed in 1985 with the province's consumer protection office in relation to child-oriented advertising.
– Antonio Bramante doesn't see the "happy" in one of McDonald's most famous offerings. The Canadian dad of three says he's cajoled every couple of weeks to take his little ones to McDonald's, and he figures he's forked over hundreds of dollars on Happy Meals. Now he's suing the fast-food empire, citing a Quebec ban on marketing to kids under the age of 13, the BBC reports. It's not so much the fries and nuggets that are firing up Bramante's beef with the restaurant: Per CTV, it's the fact that each Happy Meal comes with a toy, often tied to film franchises like Transformers or My Little Pony, and his kids are constantly haranguing him to go to McDonald's so they can get all the toys to finish off each set. Bramante also claims the restaurant targets kids by putting the Happy Meal toys right in their sightline inside the restaurant. It's a practice, Bramante says in his class-action suit, that's "to the detriment of vulnerable consumers, their children, and their families." The Quebec marketing law, not seen much elsewhere in the world, has just three exceptions: ads in kids magazines, promos for certain children's events, and ads that appear on a company's packaging and labels, and in their windows and displays. McDonald's says it's poring over the suit, but it adds "we do not believe this class action has merit." Bramante's lawyer says anyone who purchased a Happy Meal in Quebec for a child under 13 from November 2013 onward can join the suit, which is seeking compensatory and punitive damages; it's unclear whether the consumer would need to be a Canadian citizen. (A $5 million McDonald's lawsuit, all over two slices of cheese.)