The Adventure of Product Development

Driven by a bold vision and creative engineering, The Toy Story 4 Happy Meal broke new ground with a first-of-its-kind toy set that far exceeded expectations, achieving 200% of internal forecasts and sparking a lasting focus on toy lineups that deliver richer, more engaging experiences.

Reinventing the Connect-to-Build

From the start of ideation for Toy Story 4, I set myself the challenge of creating a toy lineup that could both stand alone and connect into a larger playset — something widely thought impossible at the time due to contradictory requirements.

Early proposals were dismissed as unworkable, since every toy would need to:

  • Offer strong standalone play

  • Connect with any other number of toys to form a functional mini-set

  • Assemble into a different complete, unified playset when the full collection was gathered

These obstacles became the foundation for engineering a completely new type of Happy Meal toy collection. Working closely with a colleague, I developed an inventive solution that reconciled these competing requirements, resulting in a cohesive experience that met every objective.

  • Each design was crafted to be a fun stand-alone carnival game featuring a headlining character from the movie.

  • As more designs were collected, they could connect one-by-one to build an ever-growing carnival.

  • A completed carnival strip could transform into an entirely different set-piece from the movie—the RV.

Nearly any sub-set of toys could connect to form a carnival strip, from 2 toys up to the whole lineup of 10

Nearly any sub-set of toys could connect to form a carnival strip, from 2 toys up to the whole lineup of 10

The completed carnival strip could then be transformed into a functional rolling RV from the movie!

The completed carnival strip could then be transformed into a functional rolling RV from the movie!

Overcoming Design Constraints

The RV build posed unique challenges: each toy's ‘standalone’ side needed to be engaging but their dimensions were restricted to fit properly into the assembled RV. By carefully balancing each toy’s dimensions, taking from one to give to another, and maximizing functionality within volume and budget constraints, each toy’s visual impact was maximized while supporting the limitations of the RV assembly.

Engineering Value Through Design

With the program’s ambitious design pushing it tightly against its budget, additional features would need to be achieved solely through creative engineering.

To give removable characters a ‘home’ on the assembled RV, I implemented a cost-free solution: adjusting tool parting lines on the RV’s roof to create mounting studs for each character.

Beyond this, cavity designs were creatively adjusted to amplify the presence of vibrant carnival colors on each toy. 

Creative Legal Compliance

Legal compliance posed another challenge: visible legal engraving would need to be added to each toy while minimally compromising aesthetics.

Collaborating with our legal team unearthed a key detail - the toys only needed to arrive with this text visible. I proposed placing this text on the RV windows, which would later be covered by stickers—ensuring compliance while maintaining visual appeal.

A New Standard

When it launched, the Toy Story 4 Happy Meal program shattered expectations, performing at 200% of forecasts and selling out nationwide only halfway through the promotional window—a nearly unprecedented occurrence.

With a groundbreaking first-of-its-kind design, the toy line captivated audiences and drove excitement across news and social media, becoming one of the most successful Happy Meal campaigns of all time.

The legacy of this program continues to shape our creative approach, inspiring each new ideation with what started as a personal challenge:

“What could it connect to build?”

Something New

Up Next:

The invention of a new technology and a compelling vision of the product experience lead to a complete reimagining of the way kids connect with toys.