The Evolution Of McDonald's Meal Packaging

It's no secret that McDonald's has a long and complicated history. Since the franchise first began, there have been so many changes and evolutions, from various discontinued menu items to how the Happy Meal came to be. There is so much history that McDonald's has its own museum just to house and archive it all!

Every aspect of McDonald's has its own history, including the packaging for the meals. While the golden arches have been present since the first franchise location opened, other aspects like the red french fry box didn't come until years later. Additionally, the materials used to make the packaging itself have changed to account for sustainability and the environment as a whole.

To this day, packaging at McDonald's is still evolving. A few years ago, packaging had a major makeover, which introduced minimalist but colorful iconography to the public. Still, it took several decades to get to this point, and no doubt the appearance of McDonald's packaging will continue to evolve again several decades from now.

Before McDonald's became a franchise, the packaging was just simple white paper bags with red lettering. There was even a mascot: a chef named Speedee, who had a hamburger for a face. However, once franchising started, this design approach and mascot were both quickly changed and removed in a bid for stronger branding.

The first franchise brought around an early version of the golden arches that everyone recognizes today. Originally, the arches were two separate pieces that overlapped and were connected by a diagonal line. The simplification of the logo came along just in time for the '70s, during which McDonald's experimented with larger fonts and bolder colors, which bear some resemblance to McDonald's current approach to packaging design.

The '80s and '90s brought about many changes in quick succession, from the packaging colors to the materials used. The designs became more artistic and experimental, foam packaging became trendy, and the Happy Meal was born all in the span of these decades. Today, the appearance of packaging is colorful like the '70s with a modernized twist and a focus on using renewable and recyclable materials to reduce waste.