Expertly transcreating McDonald's Happy Meal content for 40 global markets whilst dramatically reducing delivery time

The Marketing Store (TMS) is a global customer engagement agency, with offices across the world, including London, Chicago, Hong Kong, Paris, and Toronto.

TMS partnered with Comtec to translate and transcreate a series of children’s books for McDonald’s Happy Meal Readers program, aimed at promoting reading among children across more than 100 markets worldwide. McDonald’s wanted the books to engage young readers by supporting their imagination and promoting family reading time, offering a book as an alternative to a toy in Happy Meals.

Each book had to be translated into 40 languages and localised to suit the cultural nuances of various markets. Additionally, the books needed to maintain the original charm, humour, and tone of voice, so children would feel emotionally connected to the characters and stories. Given the scope of the project and its importance in encouraging literacy on a global scale, TMS needed a translation partner who could manage the intricacies of transcreation while adhering to strict deadlines.

To deliver a project of this scale, we brought together an expert linguist team and a streamlined process to ensure timely, high-quality deliveries. Key results included:

• Recruiting 120 linguists within 2 weeks to form 40 expert transcreation teams, each with in-depth experience in children’s literature to ensure that the tone, style, and humour were faithfully adapted for local audiences.

• Managed the publishing translation process within TMS’s proprietary localisation system, efficiently coordinating 120 linguists across 40 languages per book, ensuring consistency and quality across multiple markets.

• Reduced delivery times from an initial 5 working days per book to just 3 working days, optimizing the workflow and allowing TMS to meet tight deadlines without compromising on quality.

• Translation technology was utilised to reduce costs and expedite the post-production of digital assets, ensuring the books were ready for both physical and digital distribution on schedule.

• Guidelines and best practices for translation approval were shared with local teams, ensuring a smooth and efficient approval process across all markets.

By managing a complex translation process and bringing together expert linguists and cutting-edge technology, we helped TMS and McDonald’s deliver a high-quality series of books that are now enjoyed by children around the world.

Whether it’s transcreation for children’s content, marketing materials, or digital assets, we help businesses deliver impactful, culturally resonant content across the globe.