McDonald's Once Sold Green Pasta Happy Meals, All Thanks to Shrek

By Daniel S. Levine

McDonald's has done plenty of crazy cross-promotions with movie studios over the past few decades, from Happy Meal toys to elaborate glasses that fans look back on fondly. However, one of the strangest promotions came back in 2007 when the fast-food giant teamed up with DreamWorks to promote Shrek The Third with different projects around the world. Australia received by far the weirdest: green pasta happy meals.

In June and July 2007, McDonald's fans in Australia could go to their local restaurant to get the "Far Far Away Pasta Happy Meal." This featured green, Shrek-shaped pasta and was served alongside a plastic utensil that children could use to pick up each piece of pasta to dip in tomato sauce. There was also a contest to win one of five "Family Ogre-Whelming Shrek Adventures" to the Sea World and Warner Bros. Movie World theme parks in Australia.

In the U.S., Shrek fans didn't get green pasta. Instead, McDonald's launched a "Go for Green" program that highlighted healthier options on the menu at the time. This included the salads and chicken sandwiches. McDonald's also added Apple Dippers as an option for Happy Meals, as well as milk or chocolate milk in place of soft drinks. There was also a wave of glasses featuring Shrek characters that could be bought for $1.99 with any food purchase. The glasses and Shrek Happy Meal packaging were also available in Canada at the time.

Other international Shrek programs weren't as odd as Australia's green pasta. In the U.K., Shrek Happy Meals could be ordered with carrot sticks, milk, and fruit bags, and included vouchers for Shrek books. Restaurants in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Russia sold Shrek ears to benefit Ronald McDonald Charities. Salads named after Princess Fiona were available in Latin America.

Although the Shrek franchise continued well beyond Shrek the Third, McDonald's never did bring back green, Shrek-shaped pasta. Since Shrek the Third, there's been Shrek Forever After (2010), Puss in Boots (2011), and the upcoming Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. The Shrek franchise also includes several video games, a 2008 Broadway musical, two holiday TV specials, and the Puss in Boots animated series.

McDonald's has tried to introduce spaghetti in the past. Back in 1970, the company released McSpaghetti, which was just spaghetti served with marinara sauce, meatballs, and cheese topping. It wasn't a success, since there aren't too many people out there going to McDonald's for pasta. You can reportedly still get it in Orlando, Florida though. It's also widely available at McDonald's in the Philippines.

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