McDonald's in France is appealing to people's nostalgia and affection for happy meals in a new ad in which a little boy uses a Happy Meal box to collect things he loves.

The ad, by TBWA/Paris, comes at a controversial time for Happy Meals, following a U.K. petition to get the company to scrap the plastic toys that are included in the boxes. It led to a pledge by the company to come up with more sustainable options but in the meantime, rival Burger King stole a march with a commitment to "melt down" its own plastic toys. 

We can't help but wonder if McDonald's is trying to divert attention from the toys by not featuring them at all. In the film, directed by Smuggler's Adam Berg, the boy doesn't take anything out of the Happy Meal box but instead uses it to put things into; a pinecone, some bubbles from his bath, some of his mom's perfume, peeling paint and a pebble from the beach. It ends with him presenting the collection to his grandmother. 

The spot is running on TV, online and in movie theaters.