A children’s health advocacy group in Australia is upset about McDonald’s latest happy meal campaign. The fast food chain is giving away free books to people that buy Happy Meals.
The Parents’ Jury has complained to Australia’s Advertising Standards Bureau saying that the promotion is deceiving. The group is concerned that the promotion encourages unhealthy eating habits in a way that is trickier than just giving away a free toy. Alice Pryor, campaign manager at The Parents’ Jury pointed out to the Herald Sun that kids “would need to eat 23 Happy Meals in just eight weeks in order to collect the full range of books on offer.”
“It’s very clever marketing,” she added. “As a parent it’s a lot harder to say ‘no’ to your child if they are asking for a book than it is when they want a minions toy.”