McDonald’s Rebrands Happy Meal to ‘The Meal’ For Mental Health Awareness Week

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Week, McDonald's in the United Kingdom has changed its presentation of the classic kids' menu item known as the Happy Meal - or now The Meal. The two biggest changes include removing the smile from Happy Meal boxes and dropping "Happy" from the name altogether, simply dubbing it "The Meal."

The bold rebranding is based on a recent study commissioned by McDonald's. The study found that nearly half of kids in the U.K. felt pressured to present themselves as happy at all times, even if they're not.

In response to these findings, McDonald's has created limited-edition smile-less Happy Meal boxes for many of their U.K. based restaurants. These boxes will also come with stickers expressing many different emotions that they can use to show how they're feeling. McDonald's hopes that this will open up a dialogue between children and their parents regarding their mental health.

In a news release from McDonald's, the burger giant's Head of Consumer Communications & Partnerships Louise Page explained her hopes for what the campaign will accomplish for youth in the U.K.

"...we know how important it is to help stimulate open conversations about mental health in families," said Page. "Through this change to our iconic Happy Meal box, we hope that many more families are encouraged to kickstart positive conversations around children’s emotions and wellbeing."

The campaign was accentuated with a poignant promotional video on the McDonald's UK YouTube channel. In the video (seen below), children explain the vast array of emotions they feel in their day-to-day lives. One child expresses that they, "feel loads of emotions at once," while another child quite astutely describes their emotions as "a mood salad."

The children in the video even seemed uplifted by the reveal of the smile-less Meal box. One child even notes that "...it's a sign that it's a bit like us, and like, it doesn't always have to have a smile on it."

For more information on McDonald's "The Meal" campaign, click here to visit their online family hub. For resources to help you improve your own mental health, you can visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.

You can also call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) free, 24/7 hotline for help at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

Fourth at the Fort - which won't be on July 4 this year - has a lineup for 2024, as Fort Liberty announced the artists performing at the annual celebration.

First, it's worth pointing out that this year's event will not be on July 4, which falls on a Thursday. Instead, Fort Liberty officials moved the celebration to Saturday, June 29.

"Happening Saturday, June 29th at the Main Post Parade Field. Yes, June 29th! This year will be our BIGGEST event yet!" Fort Liberty Family and MWR said in its Facebook post announcing the Fourth at the Fort. "We will have not one, not two, but THREE artists plus the 82nd Rock Band to celebrate with us! The three artists are from three different genres - there will be music for everyone to enjoy."

Hip hop artist Flo Rida, country duo Maddie & Tae, and rock-pop ground Plain White T's will be the musical acts performing this year.

Last year's event drew over 60,000 people to the Main Post Parade Field, with Sheryl Crow and Gavin DeGraw performing.

Fort Liberty isn't alone in moving its main celebration off of the weeknight, as the Town of Hope Mills has also moved its day-long celebration to Saturday, June 29, as well. The City of Fayetteville is holding its symphony event in Festival Park on July 4. The Fayetteville Woodpeckers will be out of town on July 4, but Segra Stadium will play host to the US Collegiate National Team for a game that night, as well as fireworks.

But let's take a look at the three artists scheduled to perform at Fourth at the Fort at Fort Liberty on Saturday, June 29.

Country duo Maddie & Tae are best known for their huge country hit "Girl in a Country Song," but they've been staples of the radio since 2014.

Best known for their hits "Hey There Delilah" and "1-2-3-4", the pop-rock group has been together since high school.

Welcome to MY HOUSE! Flo Rida has over 100 million records sold, and is one of the best-selling artists of all time, according to the release from MWR.