Role: Creative Director, Digital and Motion Director, Music Producer
Agency: The Marketing Store - Europe
In 2021, McDonald’s sought to rethink child-focused advertising by transitioning to a fully animated approach that could uniquely capture the spirit of each Happy Meal. The result was a first-of-its-kind animated pre-roll series designed to support 8 out of 10 licensed Happy Meals, each bringing beloved characters to life within the McDonald’s Happy Meal Universe. This approach not only overcame the logistical challenges of live-action production but allowed us to weave the iconic I’m Lovin’ It jingle into the licensed universe for the first time ever—a momentous addition that enriched brand continuity across all content.
Each Happy Meal box serves as a child’s portal into a world of adventure and imagination, with every animation creating a journey into bespoke, animated story worlds featuring iconic characters. A magical glow from the Happy Meal box beckons viewers into a unique universe where Mr. Men, Pokémon, and other iconic brands come alive through engaging narratives and immersive visuals.
As Creative Director, I worked closely with all license partners—including DC, Marvel, and Nickelodeon—to ensure each animation maintained the highest standards of brand integrity and stayed true to the essence of both McDonald’s and the licensed characters. With each project, we built a seamless experience that retained each brand’s identity while fitting cohesively into the McDonald’s Happy Meal world.
The entire production process was handled in-house at The Marketing Store. From concept to completion, our team developed storyboards, animatics, and final animation production, overseeing everything from sound design to voiceover. Every detail, from visual design to music, was carefully crafted to enhance Happy Meal brand recognition and provide consistency across each activation. Our integrated approach ensured each asset highlighted key McDonald's channels—Drive-thru, delivery, and in-restaurant—while maintaining the magic and excitement central to the Happy Meal experience.
As McDonald’s trusted partner for over 30 years, The Marketing Store manages all aspects of Happy Meal content, toy design, and production, giving us unmatched insight into the brand and its audience. We are proud to be McDonald’s exclusive partner for Happy Meal toy production, leveraging our expertise to create experiences that bring joy to millions of families worldwide. This partnership is further strengthened by our parent company, HAVI, who provides forecasting, logistics, and analytics, delivering an end-to-end solution that ensures excellence at every step.
We’re especially honored to have received McDonald's first-ever Global Supplier of the Year award in 2018—a testament to the impactful work we continue to create with the McDonald's team.