It's Time To Get Rid Of This Clown

Group tells Ronald McDonald to take a hike
Posted: 11:31 AM ET

By Madison Park
CNNhealth.com writer/producer

A corporate watchdog group that got rid of Joe Camel is after another icon - this time, its target is tall, red and happy.

Corporate Accountability International plans to host a retirement party for Ronald McDonald as it releases a report Wednesday that basically says, "We’re not loving it. " The report calls for McDonald’s to stop using the iconic clown.

“For nearly 50 years, Ronald McDonald has hooked kids on unhealthy foods spurring a deadly epidemic of diet-related diseases,” said Deborah Lapidus, the senior organizer at Corporate Accountability International. “Ultimately the report makes the case that it’s time that McDonald’s stop directing fast food to kids. Really, Ronald deserves a break and so do we.”

The group plans to hold events outside of McDonald's throughout the country and wants the fast food chain to stop using its corporate mascot. The mascot makes children “vulnerable to manipulations to marketing” and turns them on to junk food at an age when childhood obesity rates have soared, Lapidus said.

The group is employing the same strategy as it did to target the cigarette mascot in its “Send Joe Camel packing” campaign in the 1990s.

“A lot of our thinking is modeled on that campaign and success,” Lapidus said. “We think of Ronald McDonald as a deep-fried Joe Camel for 21st century.”

http://pagingdrgupta.blogs.cnn.com/2010/03/30/group-tells-ronald-mcdonald-to-take-a-hike/

 

Must be a mind reader. I was discussing this very issue several days ago, you really haven't seen MCD advertising towards kids much recently. Not like in years past


The clown and Grimace have been low key.

They probably don't need to advertise to the kids, several generations have grown up on MCD food and I think it is time to retire the clown.