“…technological features that enable users to serve as sources of information can influence persuasion not only by increasing users’ agency, identity, and self-determination, but also by ensuring that the content is more relevant and involving.”
—Sundar et al. (2012, p. 393)
Analysis
For this analysis, I explored and interacted with McDonald’s HappyMeal.com website, an advergame platform designed to engage children. The website strategically places the Happy Meal at the center of attention, integrating it into various games, activities, videos, and toy promotions. The goal is clear—to create an immersive experience that fosters brand loyalty among young audiences.
As children play, they unconsciously engage in cognitive heuristics, as discussed by Sundar et al. (2012). The website’s interactive elements stimulate engagement, shaping children’s attitudes toward the Happy Meal character. By the time they visit a McDonald’s restaurant, the Happy Meal has become a familiar and desirable product, reinforcing their preference for it over other options.
Website Interactivity
HappyMeal.com is designed with a highly interactive user experience, structured into four main sections:
- Toys: Features videos and explanations on how Happy Meal toys work.
- Create: Allows children to draw, color, and explore creative ways to repurpose packaging.
- Games: Offers simple, seasonal games designed to be engaging and almost addictive.
- Videos: Showcases entertaining content that reinforces the idea of happiness associated with the Happy Meal.
These sections serve as modal subsets of the website, giving users the illusion of choice and autonomy while keeping them engaged within the brand’s ecosystem.
Source Interactivity allows users to navigate freely, switching between themes, toys, games, and videos. This creates an immersive experience that familiarizes children with the Happy Meal, strengthening their emotional connection to the product even before consuming it.
Message Interactivity further enhances persuasion through the strategic use of vibrant colors, engaging fonts, and an overall playful design. As children interact with the website, they process information in a central manner (Sundar et al., 2012), reinforcing positive attitudes toward McDonald’s. This immersive engagement increases the likelihood of a future visit to a McDonald’s location, where they are already conditioned to seek out the Happy Meal.
Game Characteristics
As Sundar et al. (2012) suggest, vividness plays a key role in shaping user perceptions of advertisements. The HappyMeal.com platform integrates self-representation through avatars, allowing children to associate themselves with the Happy Meal character.
McDonald’s also incorporates self-presence into its marketing strategy. Happy Meal boxes can be transformed into VR headsets, and the website offers an option to download an app for a virtual reality experience. These tactics align perfectly with Sundar et al.’s research on how technology enhances persuasion by creating immersive and engaging experiences. The combination of vivid, interactive content encourages brand loyalty and ultimately drives sales.
Thematic Relevance and Persuasiveness
Brand saturation is a defining feature of HappyMeal.com. Every aspect of the website—games, videos, and creative content—is designed to reinforce the McDonald’s brand. This seamless integration ensures that users develop positive associations with the Happy Meal, often without questioning the ethical implications of the product’s production and nutritional value.
McDonald’s has the resources to employ highly persuasive advertising techniques. After spending significant time on HappyMeal.com, even an informed adult might feel compelled to purchase a Happy Meal. This demonstrates the effectiveness of persuasive technology in influencing consumer behavior.
Evaluation
The positive aspect of persuasive technology is its ability to create a fun, engaging, and seamless transition from product introduction to purchase. However, there are also ethical concerns. When persuasive tactics promote products that may be unhealthy or environmentally harmful, they contribute to broader societal issues, such as overconsumption and corporate prioritization of profit over well-being.
In the case of HappyMeal.com, the effectiveness of advergames in shaping consumer behavior raises an important question: Should brands be allowed to use advanced persuasive technology to market directly to children, who are less equipped to critically evaluate advertising messages? The intersection of digital interactivity, marketing ethics, and consumer psychology remains an important area for further discussion.
Suggested Sources:
- Sundar, S. S., Jia, H., Waddell, T. F., & Huang, Y. (2012). Toward a theory of interactive media effects (TIME): Four models of how interactivity affects process and outcomes. Journal of Communication, 62(3), 393-417. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-2466.2012.01630.x
- Calvert, S. L. (2008). Children as consumers: Advertising and marketing. The Future of Children, 18(1), 205-234. https://doi.org/10.1353/foc.0.0001
- Moore, E. S., & Rideout, V. J. (2007). The online marketing of food to children: Is it just fun and games? Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 26(2), 202-220. https://doi.org/10.1509/jppm.26.2.202
- Nairn, A., & Fine, C. (2008). Who’s messing with my mind? The implications of dual-process models for the ethics of advertising to children. International Journal of Advertising, 27(3), 447-470. https://doi.org/10.2501/S0265048708080152
- Montgomery, K. C., Chester, J., Grier, S. A., & Dorfman, L. (2012). The new threat of digital marketing. Pediatrics, 135(2), 293-300. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2014-1952
Mikhail Oparin 