The Popular Fast Food Chain That Also Happens To Be One Of The Largest Toy Distributors

The fast food giant McDonald's has some pretty impressive statistics associated with it, and well it should. It's been around since 1940, and its iconic golden arches are recognized worldwide thanks to its nearly 42,000 locations (via Statista). To put it in perspective, McDonald's sells 75 hamburgers a second across the world. Yes, that's per second, and there are 86,400 of them in 24 hours. But it isn't just food that this behemoth sells in droves, McDonald's is also one of the largest toy distributors in the world.

If you're wondering how and why that's possible, just look at its Happy Meal. The company sells an estimated 3.2 million of these kid's meals a day, according to 2017 data from Sense360 (via Forbes). However, back in the late 1970s, McDonald's was reluctant to launch the Happy Meal nationally after ad executive Bob Bernstein pitched the idea to the corporation (possibly based on an idea by Yolanda Fernandez, a McDonald's franchisee in Guatemala). Corporate execs had been burned before. McDonald's has had big misses with some of its products over the years, including hot dogs and spaghetti. The kid's meal in the red cardboard box, on the other hand, became a big hit after the company rolled out Happy Meals across its U.S. locations in 1979. A big part of the appeal has been the toys found inside.

The first toys to appear in McDonald's Happy Meals when the company tested them out regionally in 1977 were small trinkets from the snack company Cracker Jack. When the meal went national, they included tops, erasers, and other surprises. It didn't take long for McDonald's to branch out with its toys. Its first collaboration came in late 1979 with the makers of "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" that featured toys like a model of the U.S.S. Enterprise spacecraft and a board game, among other novelties.

Over the ensuing decades, McDonald's teamed up with toymakers like Mattel, whose Hot Wheels cars and Barbie dolls have graced Happy Meals, along with Beanie Babies, Star Wars figurines, Power Rangers, and various Disney characters. Slightly more offbeat have been the restaurant chain's collaborations with Crocs shoes and the streetwear brand Cactus Plant Flea Market. The latter collaboration — aimed at nostalgic adults — featured revamped versions of McDonald's mascots, including the Hamburglar, a character who has seen some ups and downs over the years. Happy Meals have been such a success that a secondary market of vintage McDonald's toys has popped up.