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If someone says the phrase “I’m loving it”, they are more than likely to relate it to McDonald’s. The slogan is as iconic as the M in its logo, the Big Mac or the Happy Meal. But even if the new generations don’t know them, there was a time when McDonald’s used fictional characters for its campaigns. Mythical is the clown Ronald McDonald, who today gives name to a Foundation that helps sick children and their families during the treatment of childhood cancer or other diseases. Also Grimace, whom the fast food chain has recently rescued to launch the Grimace Birthday Meal, celebrating his birthday. But there are still many more characters belonging to McDonaland. If you want to unlock that nostalgic part, read on.
Ronald McDonald
It is the main and most remembered mascot. He is a clown who lives in a fictitious world, McDonaldland, along with other friends. He first appeared in 1963. Over the years, the chain’s managers have changed Ronald’s image, but what is most remembered is his yellow jumpsuit, his red shoes, his white face and his red hair.
Grimace
It is another of McDonald’s most emblematic characters, especially in the 70s and 80s. It is a large purple being, of undetermined species, although a few years ago company sources confirmed that it was a “huge taste bud”. He loves milkshakes and in his early days was dedicated to stealing these drinks in the fictional world. Hence, the chain gave it a second life this summer by launching Grimace Shake, a purple milkshake, in the United States.
Hamburglar
Like Grimace, this character started out as a villain, but ended up being beloved by the McDonald’s community. Hamburglar is a petty thief who was dedicated to stealing hamburgers and first appeared in 1971. His appearance has also varied over the years, from an old man to a red-haired teenager, but always with a mask over his eyes and a hat.
Birdie the Early Bird
She is McDonald’s most recognizable female character. She appeared for the first time in 1980 in a commercial, coming out of a giant egg that fell in McDonald’s and found Ronald and the rest of the characters. Birdie arrived to promote breakfast products. He is a yellow bird with pigtails and a pink jumpsuit. His appearance also changed slightly over time.
CosMc
He is an alien who first appeared in McDonaland in the mid 80’s and then disappeared. Now McDonald’s has also rescued this character and is planning to launch a new concept of restaurants inspired by this character.
Happy
Happy would be the current McDonald’s mascot. It is a box of its children’s menu, Happy Meal. Its first appearance was in 2009 in France, and then in other European countries. It did not arrive in the United States until 2014. This little happy box with black shoes came with the aim of launching a message to children to eat healthier food.
Fry Kids
They are secondary characters, but if you lived through the 70’s or 80’s, they are probably still in the collective imagination. They are something like pom-poms with eyes and were created mainly to promote potato chips. In the commercials where they were featured, you would hear a jingle that said “Keep your eyes on the fries.” Originally it was the Fry Gobblins. Then they went on to be called Fry Guys and finally Fry Kids, as they had introduced the Fry Girls as well, and wanted to give the characters a more childlike look.
Professor
Another secondary character who was born in the 1970s. He barely spoke and at first had brown hair and wore a white lab coat. In the 1980s he gained more prominence and was given a light bulb-shaped helmet, mustache and glasses.