McDonald’s decided the time was right to remove the smiles from their Happy Meal boxes, but it is apparently for a good reason. According to the Independent, McDonald’s UK dropped the smiles from boxes in honor of Mental Health Awareness Week, even dropping happy from the name of the meal. It was just called “The Meal” on the restaurant’s menu.
“We know how important it is to help stimulate open conversations about mental health in families,” Louise Page, head of consumer communications and partnerships for McDonald’s UK said to TMZ. “Through this change to our Happy Meal box, we hope many more families are encouraged to kickstart positive conversations around children’s emotions and wellbeing.”
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The name change and the smile removal are just the main thrust of McDonald’s effort in honor of the special week. The blank face on the iconic box can now feature an array of stickers the kid can attach themselves. The box also features messages asking questions about mental health and reinforcing the idea that it is OK to be unhappy from time to time.
“I’ve experienced first-hand with my own children how good communication and encouraging kids to embrace how they truly feel can build trust and help to manage emotions – no matter how big or small,” soccer star Rio Ferdinand, who narrates the advertisement for the special week said in a press release. “It’s our job to empower our children to express themselves freely and support them every step of the way in understanding that it’s okay to not be happy all the time.”
While it seems to be a noble effort and a topic that is begging for awareness from those in charge, it seems odd to only do it for a single week. Still, happiness has not been outlawed just yet. It might feel like it a bit more each day, but you can still smile a bit.
