In 2018, McDonald’s Europe required a refreshed Birthday Party Programme (BPP) to standardise and elevate the in-restaurant party experience across multiple European markets. The programme needed to adhere to the ‘Happy’ character brand guidelines while functioning effectively across diverse languages and cultural contexts.

To develop a scalable, culturally neutral design system for the Birthday Party Programme that maintained brand integrity, positioned ‘Happy’ as the central character, and enabled consistent multi-language rollout across European markets.

A modular, character-driven design framework was developed to allow flexibility across varying text lengths and language localisation without compromising visual hierarchy or usability. The system prioritised cultural neutrality and production efficiency, enabling streamlined regional adaptation. The toolkit included party supplies and structured game components, supported by a Guest Experience Leader (GEL) Party Guide translated into multiple languages.

The design was selected from multiple submissions and rolled out across Europe for 2018/19. In 2020, the programme was adopted globally and translated into a downloadable digital format during COVID-19 lockdowns, allowing families to recreate the McDonald’s birthday experience at home and sustaining brand engagement during restaurant closures.