For decades, McDonald’s was closely associated with a jovial red-haired clown who was first introduced as the fast food chain’s mascot in 1963.
But over the years Ronald McDonald, who donned white face makeup, bright red hair and a yellow jumpsuit, was slowly phased out of marketing campaigns.
During his heyday Ronald was often seen with his friends and fellow characters Mayor McCheese, the Hamburglar, Grimace, Birdie the Early Bird, and The Fry Kids.
However Ronald’s reign came to an end when McDonald’s told customers that he would be taking a hiatus in response to a rather disturbing social media trend.
In 2016 McDonald’s revealed Ronald McDonald was keeping a low profile with reports of creepy clown sightings on the rise.
At the time a worrying trend of killer clowns sent the world into a frenzy for a short period of time.
It was a worrying time where people dressed up as sinister-looking clowns and terrorised strangers.
From sharing photos of themselves looking creepy onto social media, it took a sinister turn with people dressing up as them near schools.
Ronald McDonald, who donned white face makeup, bright red hair and a yellow jumpsuit, was slowly phased out of McDonald’s marketing campaigns
The reports even forced police to respond in some areas.
The clown sightings started around Greenville, South Carolina, in August 2016, when police received reports of clowns standing silently by roadsides, near laundries and trying to lure children into the woods with bags of cash and green laser lights.
It is unclear what started the craze, although some suggested it might have been part of a horror movie publicity stunt or an elaborate hoax.
There were similar reports sightings across Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
At the time McDonald’s made a statement to say it is being ‘thoughtful in respect to Ronald McDonald’s participation in community events’ as a result of the ‘current climate around clown sightings in communities’.
The craze even led best-selling U.S. horror author Stephen King, whose 1986 novel IT tells the story of a supernatural being that appears as a clown, to appeal for anti-clown sentiment to be tempered.
‘Hey, guys, time to cool the clown hysteria – most of ‘em are good, cheer up the kiddies, make people laugh,’ King wrote on Twitter.
It comes after the very first Ronald McDonald made his TV debut in 1963.
Ronald’s reign soon came to an end when McDonald’s told customers that he would be taking a hiatus in response to a rather disturbing social media trend
Ronald was often seen with his friends and fellow characters Mayor McCheese, the Hamburglar, Grimace, Birdie the Early Bird, and The Fry Kids
In 2016 McDonald’s revealed Ronald McDonald was keeping a low profile with reports of creepy clown sightings on the rise
From sharing photos of themselves looking creepy onto social media, it took a sinister turn with people dressing up as them near schools
An uncovered video revealed what Ronald looked like at the time and he was distinctly creepy.
With a drink cup for a nose and a food tray for a hat, the original Ronald resembles a scarecrow more than a clown.
Made long before a new health-conscious generation prompted the sale of salads and juice beneath the golden arches, the commercial shows off the clown’s prolific hamburger-eating ability.
He sports a special belt which magically produces three hamburgers in a row, and at the end of the clip happily skips off to a McDonald’s restaurant.
The advert was published on YouTube in 2008 but came to prominence again recently when it was rediscovered by The Consumerist.
Another two adverts that were uncovered by the publication did little to dispel the ‘creepy’ accusations.
It comes after the very first Ronald McDonald made his TV debut in 1963
An uncovered video revealed what Ronald looked like at the time and he was distinctly creepy
In one clip, Ronald, still wearing his food-tray hat, is introduced as ‘Ronald McDonald, the happy hamburger-eating clown’.
Ronald responds: ‘Well, your mum’s right as always, but I’m Ronald McDonald! Now give me a McDonald’s shake!’
The clown went on to become one of the world’s best-known icons, appearing in a range of television adverts set in McDonaldland.
By 1971, Ronald had ditched the food tray hat and cup nose, and was sporting a more familiar red wig.
The official clown has been played by at least ten different actors since 1963, including Squire Fridell.
Mr Fridell starred as Ronald McDonald for seven years from 1984, after his famous role as Toyota Man in the long-running ‘oh, what a feeling’ adverts.
Ronald has undergone a series of makeovers, and in 2004 unveiled a more athletic look as a ‘balanced, active lifestyle ambassador’.
