If you remember, Ronald McDonald was the face of the infamous fast food chain, McDonald’s. He hasn’t been seen in quite some time.
Ronald McDonald made his debut in the 1960s with many other characters. Some of them included Mayor McCheese, the Hamburglar, Grimace, Birdy, and The Fry Kids.
After being around for years, people started noticing he hasn’t been in the spotlight for a little while.
Where did Ronald McDonald go and why isn’t he the face of McDonald’s anymore?
According to The Sun, Ronald has quite an extensive history with McDonald’s. His first appearance came in 1963.
Many people weren’t sure what a clown could do for the fast food chain, but he took off as the mascot for years after he was unveiled.
In 2016 Ronald McDonald disappeared and the company announced he would be on a hiatus.
This happened after a strange trend took off where people were dressing like clowns and terrorizing people with weapons. This was a global trend.
It began in the United States and started happening in the United Kingdom soon after. Police took the trend very seriously.
It may have started as a joke, but the pranks soon turned sinister. One person dressed as a clown with a knife and chased children on their way to school. Another one hid beneath street lamps and tried luring kids into the woods.
In a statement, McDonald’s explained that the current climate around clown sightings pushed them to not use Ronald McDonald.
Following that situation, he hasn’t been seen much since.
The fast food chain shared that while he is not in ads in the United Kingdom anymore, he is still working for McDonald’s. He still travels to restaurants to check in with customers.
Ronald’s red and white striped arm is still part of the Ronald McDonald House Charities Logo.
Why hasn’t he returned since the clown sightings ended?
While these clown pranks were the reason Ronald McDonald was taken out of the media, not everyone was a fan to begin with.
For years critics have believed that the clown mascot was encouraging children to eat unhealthy food. 550 doctors would buy ad space asking him to retire.
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Samantha edits our personal finance and consumer news section. Have a question or lead? Send it to [email protected].