In 1963, McDonald’s had just reached the milestone of opening their 500threstaurant and serving their one billionth hamburger. It was also at this time introduced ts famous clown icon, Ronald McDonald.
What makes Ronald McDonald unique is the fact that the inspiration for the character didn’t come from the company headquarters or even a marketing or ad agency. Ronald was the idea of franchised store owner, and only six years after running their first nationally televised advertisement, McDonald’s Ronald McDonald could be identified by 96% of American children. The McDonald’s spokesclown was more recognizable to children than the President of the United States.
Brand icons like Ronald McDonald are consciously designed by marketing teams to embody the specific values and qualities they want a brand to communicate. It’s more effective to bring brand qualities out by portraying them through a character than by just listing them within an advertisement. This is because audiences are more open to being shown something than told. Emotional connections are made with brand icons like Ronald McDonald, and these connections are proven to be much stronger than rational ones.
Ronald McDonald was developed by McDonald’s marketing team to be perceived a “nice guy”. They intended for its audience to take away a message of “fun” from the ad campaign.
Be sure to check out this McDonald’s ad from half a century ago to see how the brand has evolved over the years. This Ronald McDonald (portrayed by Willard Scott) is certainly not the Ronald McDonald most of us have come to know. The original clown looks as if he just rolled out of the fast food restaurant’s dumpster with trays, cups, and assorted trash decorating him.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jwb9W51j7fo]
However, even with ads promoting the message of, “Never accept food from strangers… unless they are dressed as clowns,” Ronald McDonald became a hook for the McDonald’s brand – a brand that now dominates fast food. The only character that is more commonly recognized by children is Santa Clause. And after a short stint of acting in adult targeted advertising, Ronald McDonald has returned as a child ambassador for the brand and is currently selling hamburgers in 25 different languages all over the world.
Resources:
“Taking the Fast Food Industry by Storm: McDonalds Expands” by Evan Carmichael
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