The Clown must Go

Ad campaigns are used to hypnotize and deceive. 550 doctors have recently published open letter to McDonald’s to seek the end of longtime spokesclown Ronald McDonald.

“The rise of health conditions like diabetes and heart disease mirrors the growth of your business—growth driven in large part by children’s marketing. Although the American Academy of Pediatrics deems such marketing ‘inherently deceptive to children under 8,’ you continue to use it as a vehicle to grow your enterprise,” reads an excerpt from the open letter. “Today, your icon is as recognized as Santa Claus, and the McDonald’s model of marketing is used by a range of abusive industries.” The letter ends with a request: “Retire your marketing promotions for food high in salt, fat, sugar and calories to children, whatever form they take—from Ronald McDonald to toy giveaways.”

Parallels have been drawn to the 1990s campaign to extinguish Joe Camel from the cigarette industry advertising. R.J. Reynolds for years denied that its cartoon camel was designed to appeal to kids, but a study found that children recognized Joe before other cartoons like Mickey Mouse and Fred Flintstone, and the tobacco company eventually caved to pressure.

Ronald McDonald have been around for 50 years. His campaign worked so well that many adults in the United States today are now lifelong fast-food addicts. Companies put billions every year into selling to children because it ensures a customer for life. Once the parent is addicted, the addiction is passed down from one generation to another. Ronald McDonald has successfully managed to weave his influence into the fabric of the family. The marketing team at McDonald’s, like all junk food sellers, creates a seductive demand that effectively makes parents choose not whether their kids will eat junk, but rather when and how often.

Kids meal toys which are often based on characters from recent movies or TV shows help drive a lot fast-food sales, experts say. In 2006, fast-food joints spent an estimated $360 million on the toys, according to a Federal Trade Commission report. But the industry more than made up for that investment with some $348.5 billion in kids meals sales. "The toys are a very powerful enticement," says Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

The average McDonald's restaurant earned on average $2,313,000 in revenue 2010, according to Technomic's Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report.

Mollie Kerr, an 11-year-old girl, tells it like it is , "We have, like, problems, we have earthquakes and tornadoes, we have money problems and financial problems. But in Ronald McDonald World, we have no problems, it's just happy all the time."