The 25 Years of Happiness Celebration Continues at McDonald's®, Happy Meals Feature Family Favorites; Perennial Favorites, Polly Pocket!™ and Hot Wheels® Cars and Hello Kitty® and G.I. JOE to Be Featured in McDonald's Fall Line Up

The 25 Years of Happiness Happy Birthday Happy Meal® celebration continues at McDonald's with the return of classic kid favorites. As the Happy Meal celebrates its 25th birthday, iconic characters are making a return to the popular children's meal. Beginning this fall, McDonald's will offer two double features that will delight kids and bring fun memories to mom and dad.

From August 20 through September 16, Happy Meal guests will receive one of eight Polly Pocket!™ toys with Polly and her friends enjoying a camping trip, or one of eight Hot Wheels® cars inspired by the tuner car trend featuring a special light-up element. From September 17 through October 14, Happy Meals will have Hasbro's G.I. JOE brand marching into McDonald's for its 40th anniversary with eight action-packed toys based on the new G.I. JOE VALOR VS. VENOM story, teamed with a commemorative line of eight Hello Kitty® premiums purring with excitement as the cutest kitty on the planet celebrates her 30th anniversary. These much-loved Happy Meal toys will be featured at participating McDonald's nationwide during the specified four-week program or while supplies last.

According to toy and children's lifestyle expert Chris Byrne, also known as The Toy Guy™, "These classic brands capitalize on the current cultural trend that has caused a boom in so-called 'retro' toys while offering today's children rich, imaginative and exciting play experiences that are relevant to their lives."

"Our Happy Meal events continue to provide fun and enjoyment for kids of all ages and this fall it's all about cool, classic toys delivered in a modern theme," said Kent Voetberg, McDonald's director of family marketing. "We always look to delight our family guests with great service, great food and fun toys and this time we plan to bring back a bit of nostalgia and memories for moms and dads and updated toys for kids."

Polly Pocket!™ & Hot Wheels® cars - Friday, August 20 to Thursday, September 16

Polly Pocket!™ is joined by friends Shani™, Lila®, Rick and Lea™ as the 3.5" figures (the same size as found at retail) enjoy an action-filled camping trip. Each of the figures comes with a vehicle or camping accessory that includes a glow-in-the-dark feature. There's a cool personal watercraft, a sailboard and a four-wheeler as well as a tent that rolls into a bag, a sleeping bag that converts to a backpack, a hammock, a picnic table and a cooler-to-campfire accessory. Polly Pocket!™ promises hours of playtime fun for young girls.

Always a popular Happy Meal favorite over the years, Hot Wheels® cars have gotten hotter than ever. Inspired by the tuner car trend, each of the eight die-cast cars is designed to reflect one of six body styles. There's the Lotus Elise roadster, the Hardnoze™ 2 Cool™ hot rod, Fatbax™ Silhouette® -- a hot racer, 'Tooned™ Mercy Breaker™, Blings™ Hyperliner™, Crooze™ Ooz Coupe™, Swoopy Do™ sports car, and the classic Rapid Transit™. And new for 2004, these special designs each feature a light-up element to brighten the faces of boys from 4 to 94.

G.I. JOE and Hello Kitty - Friday, September 17 - Thursday, October 14

Hasbro's G.I. JOE brand has delivered hours of endless backyard adventures for boys for the past 40 years. And now, they're coming to McDonald's Happy Meals. Based on the new G.I. JOE VALOR VS. VENOM story soon to be released on DVD and VHS, these exciting G.I. JOE toys are built for action-packed fun. Featuring four action figures, each with detachable backpacks offering a unique function, and four functioning vehicles designed to make the characters invincible, the G.I. JOE Happy Meal is sure to be a hit. There's the brave and daring DUKE who comes with a backpack launcher or off-road vehicle, the evil COBRA COMMANDER -- equipped with a Backpack Disc Launcher or propeller launching helicopter, the powerful ninja SNAKE EYES -- with a super-sleek, push-along motorcycle or Compass Communicator, and the maniacal DR. MINDBENDER -- a threat to all with his Venomizing ATV or Venom Water Squirter.

Hello Kitty the purr-fectly precious feline celebrates 30 years of fun and friendship with a commemorative line of Hello Kitty Happy Meal premiums featuring some of the most popular retail product since Sanrio introduced the line in 1974. Coming to warm the hearts of young girls will be Ring Around the Kitty, Amazing Hoop Kitty, Kitty Toaster, Ballerina Kitty, Cool Kitty, Hello Kitty Calendar, and Pedal Pusher Kitty with Pencil. They're so cute and memorable; customers will be waiting to pounce on them as soon as they are introduced.

In addition to featuring playtime fun, McDonald's Happy Meals will also be featuring Happy Meal Choices. Young guests now have the opportunity to enjoy additional food choices with their Happy Meals including Apple Dippers (fresh, peeled apple slices) served with low fat caramel dipping sauce, and new beverage choices including 100% pure Minute Maid apple juice and low fat white and chocolate Milk Jugs, served in child friendly containers.

McDonald's

McDonald's (NYSE: MCD) is the world's leading food service retailer with more than 30,000 McDonald's restaurants serving 46 million customers each day in more than 100 countries. More than 80 percent of McDonald's restaurants around the world are owned and operated by independent, local businessmen and women. Please visit our website at http://www.mcdonalds.com/ to learn more about the Company.

Mattel, Inc.

Mattel, Inc., (NYSE: MAT; http://www.mattel.com/ ) is the worldwide leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of toys and family products, including Barbie®, the most popular fashion doll ever created. Leading the toy and game market, the Mattel family is comprised of such best-selling brands as Hot Wheels®, Matchbox®, American Girl®, and Tyco® R/C, as well as Fisher-Price® brands ( http://www.fisher-price.com/ ), including Little People®, Rescue Heroes®, Power Wheels® and a wide array of entertainment-inspired toy lines. With worldwide headquarters in El Segundo, Calif., Mattel employs more than 25,000 people in 36 countries and sells products in more than 150 nations throughout the world. The Mattel vision is to be the world's premier toy brands -- today and tomorrow.

Hasbro, Inc.

Hasbro (NYSE: HAS) is a worldwide leader in children's and family leisure time entertainment products and services, including the design, manufacture and marketing of games and toys ranging from traditional to high-tech. Both internationally and in the U.S., its PLAYSKOOL, TONKA, MILTON BRADLEY, PARKER BROTHERS, TIGER and WIZARDS OF THE COAST brands and products provide the highest quality and most recognizable play experiences in the world.

SANRIO

SANRIO develops, distributes and licenses a unique collection of over 12,000 gift, stationery and fashion accessory items for women of all ages. Hello Kitty is the company's flagship brand. SANRIO was founded in 1960 based on the concept that a small gift can bring a big smile to a child of any age. Today there are over 300 SANRIO boutiques throughout the Western Hemisphere with 120 in the United States. In addition, SANRIO character products are sold in over 10,000 U.S. locations including department, specialty stores and national chain store.

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SOURCE: McDonald's Corporation

CONTACT: Laura Dihel of JSH&A Public Relations, +1-630-932-9347, for
McDonald's; Shannelle Armstrong of McDonald's, +1-630-623-5508

Web site: http://www.mcdonalds.com/
http://www.mattel.com/
http://www.fisher-price.com/