His name is Ronald McDonald and he certainly is not far from McDonald's fast food restaurants. However, do you know, behind the cheerful smile of McDonald's history and gloomy case?
The first McDonald's restaurant was opened by Maurice and Richard McDonald at San Bernardino in 1948. However, the new clown appeared 15 years later under the stage name of Ronald McDonald, the Hamburger-Happy Clown.
Ronald's presence had a tremendous impact on McDonald's profits. This mascot was a national sensation at the time, which not only attracted adults, but also children to come and eat there.
Willard Scott was the first person to wear Ronald's costume. Unfortunately, according to reports from Mic, two years after his debut Scott had to lose the role as a McDonald's clown because he was too fat.
"McDonald's wants someone who is thinner to promote his burger and fries," writes Eric Schlosser, author of Everything You Did not Want to Know About Fast Food.
On the other hand, as the figure of the clown becomes more popular, George Voorhis appears. This man did not hesitate to mention people have been deceived, because the first time dressed as Ronald is not Scott but Voorhis.
Voorhis also said, his idea with Terry Teene who created Ronald to become McDonald's mascot. They both claimed to design costumes and draw the face of the clown.
But, who is concerned about the figure behind the clown? McDonald's was responding to chaos Ronald creator casually. "There's only one Ronald," Schlosser writes about McDonald's response to the cast.
Even so, the person who played Ronald was never considered important. Until 2014 alone counted already 10 people who ever portray Ronald in global advertising, but no one introduced his identity.
Now, Ronald's fate is on the edge. Since the mass hysteria will be frightening clowns that roam the United States and coupled with the euphoria of IT movies. McDonald's deliberately reduces Ronald's appearance in the public sphere.
Poor once, Ronald who once very famous now even have to hide often because the kids of today are even afraid of clowns. While the cast of Ronald, since never was considered.