This is why McDonald's wiped the smile from its Happy Meals

McDonald's
(Image credit: McDonald's)

What's a McDonald's Happy Meal without a smile? Just a meal, with whatever emotion you happen to be feeling at the time. 

McDonald's customers in the UK may have been surprised earlier this month to find the familiar golden smile missing from the packaging of Happy Meals, but there was a reason for the change (see our round up of packaging design for more inspiration).

Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

Joe Foley

Joe is a regular freelance journalist and editor at Creative Bloq. He writes news, features and buying guides and keeps track of the best equipment and software for creatives, from video editing programs to monitors and accessories. A veteran news writer and photographer, he now works as a project manager at the London and Buenos Aires-based design, production and branding agency Hermana Creatives. There he manages a team of designers, photographers and video editors who specialise in producing visual content and design assets for the hospitality sector. He also dances Argentine tango.

Latest in Packaging Design
Atari sauces
Retro gamers are drooling over these Atari-themed sauces
Starbucks' new sustainable cups
Here's what we can learn from Starbucks' compostable cup design fail
James B. Beam Distilling Company's Old Gran-Dad 16yr packaging
Pre-prohibition aesthetics meet contemporary style in this slick bottle design
Johnnie Walker Blue Label Lunar New Year packaging design
Artist rings in the Year of the Snake with striking lunar new year Johnnie Walker packaging design
A Jack Daniels Bottle
The new Jack Daniels bottle design is leaving a bad taste for some
Lake Como Air packaging design
Is it wrong that I want to buy this canned air from Lake Como?
Latest in News
WWDC 2025 logo
The WWDC 2025 logo gives me hope for the future of Apple design
Bambu Lab H2D
Redditors express concern over new Bambu Lab H2D Laser 3D printer
Photo of Bill Gates
Bill Gates says only 3 jobs will be safe from AI (and it's bad news for creatives)
MacBook deals
I'd pick these 2 MacBook deals over all others today – save up to $1000
Krisp - AI accent convertor
New AI tech can change your accent (but only to North American)
Kia logo
Seriously folks, it's time to move on from the Kia logo debacle