Group Issues Call to End McDonald’s Happy Meal Promotion

McDonald's is under fire for its latest Happy Meal promotion.

A watch dog group is up in arms over a McDonald’s Happy Meal promotion, saying the fast food chain is luring young girls into its restaurants with “highly sexualized” toys.

The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood is demanding that McDonald’s stop its My Scene Barbie promotion, which offers four Barbie dolls and four sets of Barbie bracelets with the purchase of a Happy Meal. The premiums, which feature “ludicrously proportioned” and “scantily clad” dolls, send an unhealthy message to young girls, it claims.

The group on Tuesday sent e-mails outlining its complaint to members of McDonald’s Global Moms panel to end the promotion. The nine-member panel offers input on a variety of topics to help the company better serve the needs of moms and families.

So far, one panelist responded and said she would look into the matter, the group said.

“McDonald’s is bending over backward to recreate itself as a healthy, family friendly place, and these dolls are not healthy for kids,” Susan Linn, a psychologist who is the co-founder of the advocacy group, said.

McDonald’s, however, said it has no plans to end the promotion. In a statement, the company didn’t address the group’s specific charges.

“Barbie has been a familiar and fun toy enjoyed by millions of families for decades," Heidi M. Barker, McDonald's Corp. spokesperson, said. "That’s why it continues to be a popular Happy Meal Toy."

The Happy Meal http://www.Happymeal.com promotion, which also offers one of eight Hot Wheels Stunt Strikers vehicles, runs through Oct. 28.

McDonald’s has repositioned its marketing to reflect advertising that features healthy lifestyle messaging targeting kids. But the coalition group said the company should change its messages with the Happy Meal promotion.

“It’s bad enough McDonald’s is using toys to lure kids to junk food, but now they are using them at a time when there’s increasing concern about sexualization of little girls,” Linn said.