Published On May 3, 2024
Ronald McDonald died 2016 and no-one noticed and cared.
McDonald’s says they retired Ronald from the public eye in 2016 the be sensitive of all the creepy murderous clowns allegedly appearing in the wild. While other sheeple just accept this at face value…I don’t buy it.
Ronald McDonald is McDonald's. Why would McDonald's get rid of a 60-year-old fast food mascot that’s basically the company because a couple of doofs in rainbow wigs and plastic masks were chilling in public? And now, as McDonald's is going hard on their Grimace, Birdie, the Hamburger, and McDonaldland nostalgia advertising, Ronald is nowhere to be found.
What happened to Ronald McDonald, our burger papa? I needed to know. WE needed to know. So I decided to get down to the bottom of this mystery and figure out why Ronald McDonald disappeared.
Who killed Ronald McDonald? What caused the clown’s death? Why has Grimace replaced Ronald? Will McDonald’s ever bring the clown back? Is Ronald McDonald the Joe Camel of fast food?
Turns out, what actually happened to Ronald is a lot more about him being an unsuccessful commercial mascot the release of Morgan Spurlock's documentary, Super Size Me, and the push for this commercial juggernaut to stop taking advantage of children’s health.
Additionally, I sat down with George Longley, formed Leo Burnett creative who wrote and art directed hundreds of kids commercials, and child’s TV written, Joel Jessop, to learn the most effective strategies in kids advertising and the ethics of marketing junk food.
This is the real reason McDonald’s got rid of Ronald McDonald. And it has nothing to do with creepy killer clowns.
See more of George Longley's work:
Instagram: / georgelongleyart
Website: george6longley.wixsite.com/george
Linkedin: / george-longley-a6b765a
Listen to Joel Jessup's podcast, Just the Thing:
Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1990618/
Available wherever you get your podcasts.
Follow me on Social Media:
Instagram: @500DaysofAri
Twitter: @500DaysofAriana
TikTok: @ArianaAlexis
00:00 The funeral for Ronald McDonald
00:26 McDonald's announces retiring Ronald
1:58 Clowns are creepy, but Ronald McDonald isn't
3:51 The most famous McDonald's lawsuit: The teens that sued McDonald's for making them overweight
5:11 McDonald's child specific marketing strategy
6:24 A conversation with a Leo Burnett advertising legend, George Longley, on children's advertising
7:55 A brand loyal McDonald's kid grown up
8:53 McDonald's = Cigarette companies
9:13 How Super Size Me changed McDonald's
10:22 Ronald McDonald gets more sporty
10:35 The 'Retire Ronald McDonald' Campaign
12:11 The quiet pull back of Ronald McDonald
12:46 The history of Happy, the terrifying Happy Meal Box
13:33 Ronald McDonald doesn't work for modern customers
14:20 Marketing Ronald McDonald to millennials
14:41 Why 2014 was the worst year for McDonald's
15:23 Why Millennials stopped eating at McDonald's
16:18 The rise of fast casual restaurants
17:38 McDonald's modern revamp: Why remodelled their stores
18:20 The updated McDonald' play place
18:39 The only retro McDonald's in the Greater Toronto Area
18:59 Fresh new packaging, some gross food
20:00 Taking Ronald out of the restaurants, but not schools
21:39 Finding a scapegoat to get rid of Ronald
22:18 Where you can see Ronald McDonald in modern times
23:33 The Rise of Grimace
23:59 The birth of McDonald's
25:11 Who killed Ronald McDonald?
25:30 Watch more videos
End Screen Music:
| Title: Mob Battle
| Artist: Silent Partner
| • Mob Battle – Silent Partner (No Copyr...
#mcdonalds #ronaldmcdonald #happymeal #supersizeme