Originally published at: http://boingboing.net/2016/10/11/mcdonalds-to-avoid-advertising.html
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2 Likes
I understand the history of the mascot but i just don’t understand why they feel the need to stick to Ronald McDonald. He’s always been fairly creepy and off putting. They’d be better off using Mayor McCheese or something else.
7 Likes
Seems to me that this might be a good opportunity to cut the unfunny douchebag loose for good.
When’s his contract up?
2 Likes
I have to say I’m disappointed. Ronald should fight back! He should start making appearances everywhere, especially where he is unexpected. Playgrounds! Abandoned houses! The dumpster out back of Burger King! And he should open carry.
21 Likes
They can’t. Not after the corruption scandal brought down his administration.
15 Likes
Y’know, I know that “clowns are scary!” has been an internet meme for a long time, culminating in genuinely creepy clowns being weird around cities at night, but my nephew got to meet Ronald McDonald at a state fair not long ago, and not only was their Ronald incredibly nice and cool, chatting and hanging out with the little guy, but my nephew was in awe. Kids still love Ronald. Some kids, anyway.
13 Likes
Perfect!
7 Likes
I find the Burger King far creepier.
13 Likes
What about Burger Chef and his (son? nephew?) Jeff…
5 Likes
Oh man, i love him! He’s practically a parody of Ronald McDonald. They purposefully made him weird in those old ads with him, and there’s something very amusing about it
1 Like
They have always been good about working around customer sensitivities regarding characters in their advertising.
8 Likes
I agree, even growing up with this McDonald’s advertising throughout my childhood, I always thought it was super-lame. Even then I was cynical enough to think that it was a sleazy way to trick kids into pestering their parents for terrible food.
But there are other reasons why most of “McDonaldland” was dropped - its earliest versions were lifted from H.R. Pufnstuf:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sid_%26_Marty_Krofft_Television_Productions_Inc._v._McDonald's_Corp.
3 Likes
I too prefer Ronald when he’s in his cups.
3 Likes
Don’t let him hear you say that.
13 Likes
Paying the Hamburglar to smuggle those Fry Guys up to the mansion was the last straw.
5 Likes
“FREE HUGS ====>”
I remember, as a kid, being mildly freaked when the TV commercials started using a new Ronald actor.
I wrote a short-short story about how the switchover happened. It involved murder. There can be only one!
10 Likes
Could be a Santa Clause thing (yes, like the Tim Allen movie). Maybe someone accidentally killed the original clown and were doomed to become one themselves.
4 Likes
