• by Teresa Buyikian , December 19, 2023

One of the most popular  plush toys in the world will soon be part of McDonald’s Happy Meals.

Beginning Dec. 26, Happy Meals will contain one of 12 collectible Squishmallows, miniature versions of those oversized stuffed toys. Now available in 55 countries, the item was named #1 Best Selling Toy by researcher NPD in 2022, as well as receiving seven Toy of the Year awards from the National Toy Association.

The McDonald’s Happy Meal marks the first QSR collab for the Jazwares-owned brand. The partnership launched in several global markets earlier this year and is now expanding to the entire U.S. as of Dec. 26 for a limited time.

The Happy Meal toy characters will include well-known personalities such as Cam the calico cat (the most popular Squishmallow), and Fifi the red fox, but also integrate McDonald’s mascots such as Grimace, now in mini Squishmallow form. There is also another new surprise “mystery character” that customers may discover once they purchase their Happy Meal.

"We're all about connecting our fans to culture, and Squishmallows are some of the hottest toys out there right now," said Tariq Hassan, McDonald's USA chief marketing and customer experience officer in a release.

The collab continues with Universal Music group, as each of the 12 characters also comes with its own playlist via QR code on the Happy Meal box.