Little People, Big Dreams x McDonald’s
Bringing 10 legendary clients to millions of children, one Happy Meal at a time.
What we did
- Secured inclusion of 10 CMG-represented icons, including MLK, Einstein, and Maya Angelou
- Advised on personality selection and suggested additional featured figures
- Adapted full-length books into simplified, child-friendly 10-page versions
- Provided rights clearance for 3 non-CMG figures
- Reviewed and approved all creative to ensure brand integrity and historical accuracy
- Coordinated with publishers and McDonald’s to align editorial, legal, and visual elements
McDonald’s partnered with the Little People, Big Dreams book series to create a line of mini biographies for their Happy Meal program. The goal was to make meaningful stories of iconic changemakers accessible to young audiences worldwide. Leveraging our extensive client portfolio, CMG played a critical role in shaping and securing the rights to bring these stories to life.
We facilitated the inclusion of 10 of our clients, including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Maya Angelou, Albert Einstein, and Rosa Parks. Beyond that, we suggested additional personalities, provided biographical input, and helped tailor full-length books into simplified, 10-page editions crafted to fit seamlessly within each McDonald’s Happy Meal. To further expand the collection of stories, we also authored original narratives from scratch.
Creating the Most Educational Happy Meal Yet
Our team managed brand representation, and collaborated with publishers to ensure each story was authentic to each client and remained age-appropriate. We also provided clearance support for three non-CMG personalities featured in the series. Every detail was reviewed to preserve our clients legacy while ensuring compatibility with McDonald’s brand and packaging.
The Impact
- 10 iconic CMG clients featured globally
- 20M+ Happy Meals distributed with books across 45 countries
- Over 50M total campaign impressions
- #1 most requested Happy Meal campaign item of the quarter
- Featured in major press outlets including The Guardian
- 3 additional personalities outside the CMG portfolio secured
- 45 countries & 12 languages
- 50M total campaign impressions
McDonald’s inspires kids to dream big in the launch of the Happy Meal Readers “I Can” book series