mental health

Burger King Debuts Unhappy Meals Because ‘No One Is Happy All the Time'

Burger King is using its playful rivalry with McDonald's to deliver an important message about mental health

Happy Meals have been synonymous with fast food for decades, ever since McDonald's first rolled out its kid-friendly concept in 1979.

But let's face it, it's not easy to be happy all day, every day.

Now, Burger King has come up with a new line of meal boxes that honor a full range of human emotions — from totally excited to super sad.

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Burger King

Burger King's new "Real Meals" launched this week and they come in five different varieties: Pissed Meal (for when you're mad), Blue Meal (for when you're sad), Salty Meal (for when you're a little bitter), YAAAS Meal (for when you literally can't contain your excitement) and DGAF Meal (for when you really couldn't care less about anything). They will only be available at select Burger King locations in Seattle, Miami, Los Angeles, New York City and Austin, Texas.

And while the brightly colored boxes might seem like just another jab at Burger King's largest competitor, their release is tied to an important cause. 

Burger King partnered with the non-profit organization Mental Health America to increase visibility about issues surrounding mental well-being during May, which is Mental Health Awareness Month.

"A natural extension of encouraging people to 'be their way' is encouraging them to 'feel their way.' With the pervasive nature of social media, there is so much pressure to appear happy and perfect," the chain said in the press release. "With Real Meals, the Burger King brand celebrates being yourself and feeling however you want to feel." A representative for the fast-food chain confirmed to TODAY Food that a donation was made to Mental Health America but would not specify how much or whether a specific issue was addressed through the contribution.

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Burger King

At participating locations, customers may order any box they want but what, exactly, is in a Real Meal?

Every Real Meal is basically some type of Whopper-with-fries combo (which the guest chooses) and, unlike Happy Meals, these are not being targeted at young kids. Unfortunately, none of the Real Meals come with a toy.

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Burger King

Though Burger King is trying to make a statement that not everyone is happy (at least not all of the time), many social media users are pretty happy about the chain's decision to bring attention to an important issue. 

Burger King has been making an effort in recent years to tap into some serious social issues through burgers. So far, the chain has taken on the pink tax by charging female customers more for their food, to net neutrality.

This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:

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