“Unveiling The Story Behind McDonald’s Iconic Clown’s Exit”

When you think about McDonald’s the smiling clown mascot Ronald McDonald will likely come to mind.

Rabia Rizwan
Gain Inspiration
3 min readJun 13, 2023

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The cheeky clown was created back in 1963 to serve as a friendly face for the fast food chain, and he became a prominent part of the brand along with the much-loved hamburgers and nuggets.

Do you know who was Ronald McDonald?

The McDonald’s fast food restaurant’s mascot is an American clown named Ronald McDonald. He has bizarre hair and wears red and yellow stripes. In McDonald’s land, he and several of his buddies reside. Willard Scott, a well-known weatherman and Bozo the Clown performer was the first to play Ronald McDonald. Later, Ronald McDonald’s clothing and makeup were redone by Coco the Clown actor Michael Polakovs, and this version is still utilized by Ronald McDonald performers to this day.

But in 2016 McDonalds announced that he would be taking a break from public life.

Disturbing Reason Behind McDonald’s Clown Sudden Disappearance

“McDonald’s Shelves Beloved Clown Mascot as Public Fears Rise over Creepy Clown Phenomenon.”

In August 2016, images of spooky-looking clowns in a vacant Wisconsin parking lot began to circulate on social media as promos for a horror film that was planned for release two years later.

‘clown attack’ phenomenon that peaked in 2016, films involving spooky clowns have taken over the entertainment industry. Ads with the white-painted faces of villains like the Joker and Pennywise from IT Chapter Two covered billboards and were constantly creeping on TV and internet For those who are afraid of clowns, the past few years have been difficult. Following the screens at any moment.

Nevertheless, the pictures were shown on American news networks, and copycats began frightening people in other parts of the world.

On Halloween, when there was a significant uptick in killer clown violence, the frenzy got out of hand.

Twenty individuals wearing clown masks attacked a family in Florida. Another account said that a clown-masked individual drew a knife and began chasing a little youngster on his way to school.

“NO LAUGHING MATTER”

This came after a troubling trend in the US in which pranksters terrorised the public by dressing as clowns.

Police deemed the phenomenon “no laughing matter” as it swiftly expanded to the UK and the rest of the world.

Even though it could have started as a joke, some clowns started flaunting firearms to spread further fear.

Shocking Statement On Mc Donald’s Website

A statement on the McDonald’s website reads: “We’re afraid that Ronald McDonald no longer appears in McDonald’s UK advertising, but he is still very busy working for us. He often travels up and down the country to help promote some of our exciting new activities and visits our restaurants to make sure everyone is enjoying their meals.”

The company was forced to retire the famous clown because of a shocking reason.

Ronald McDonald continues to make public appearances at live events and on social media, but he is no longer the face of the brand.

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Rabia Rizwan
Gain Inspiration

Hi, I write articles and blogs about healthcare and travelling. I also love to read and write about historical sites, events and periods.