McDonald’s celebrates 40 years of the Happy Meal

The fries were delicious, the cheeseburgers tasty, and the chance to drink soft drink was a novelty if you weren’t given free reign over sugary beverages in your day-to-day life.

But in the end, McDonald’s Happy Meals were all about the toys.

Most weeks, they were kind of disappointing â€" nothing more than little plastic action figures that made an appearance in your Barbie dream house, but were eventually relegated to the junk drawer (or took up permanent residence in the bin).

If you were lucky enough to encounter a Happy Meal more than once in a month, the odds of doubling up on whatever toy your meal included were increased.

And if your sibling happened to get a better toy with their meal than you did, it was a special breed of mutiny that broke out.

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At the end of the day, free toys from McDonald’s was a formative part of growing up â€" and has been for children for the past 40 years.

First introduced in 1979, the Happy Meal footprint has continued to expand all over the world, with the iconic toy still a beloved staple and symbol of surprise, playfulness and fun.

“Since the Happy Meal was introduced on the menu, it quickly became synonymous with our brand,” said McDonald’s global CEO, Steve Easterbrook.

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“Today, this iconic red box creates delicious, lasting memories for billions of families annually across the world.”

This year, to celebrate the anniversary of the Happy Meal, the fast food chain is launching the limited edition Surprise Happy Meal, featuring 15 of its most-loved toys from the last four decades.

“Happy Meal toys are nostalgic for Aussies of all ages,” said director of marketing at McDonald’s Australia, Jo Feeney.

“By bringing back some of the most popular toys from the last four decades, Australians can get their hands on some of their favourites from the past.”

The Cowboy McNugget, McDonalds Hot Wheels Thunderbird and My Little Pony are all featured in the retro toy offering, giving you an excuse to buy one of the surprise boxes, no matter your age.

RETRO HAPPY MEAL TOYS