Company mascots have been around for decades. Over time, some of them have become very memorable. One such mascot was Ronald McDonald.
Growing up in the 70s and 80s, I found it very common to see Ronald's image on TV, in print ads, and at McDonald's restaurants. I remember the McDonald's on Division Street in St. Cloud used to have a back room where kids could sit on seats shaped like hamburgers and reserve the space for parties and private gatherings.
Of course, I remember the Happy Meals. Back when they first started, the prizes were very simple things, like cheap plastic toys or hand puppets. The toys improved in quality and quantity (as prices increased) over the years, but I was just as happy to have a meal and some McDonaldland cookies there as a treat for behaving while my mom was out shopping back in the day.
Both McDonald's and Burger King were known for years for their mascots. They would appear routinely in television ads. I remember that both franchises used to have play places in their restaurants not that long ago.
Nowadays, it seems like fast food franchises have embraced the corporate mindset. Prices are high, and quality is low. More importantly, the aspects that made those franchises fun have disappeared. No more fun commercials featuring mascots. Even the play areas have gone away. A McDonald's franchise in Franklin, TN recently gained notoriety for replacing its playland with a couple of tablets for kids to play on.
The way things have been going lately, I sincerely doubt that the things that made fast food restaurants fun for kids and families will ever reappear any time soon. I guess that those of us who are old enough to remember Ronald McDonald, Mayor McCheese, the Hamburglar and other associated characters will just have to live with the memories of those simpler times.
Well, that's all I have for now. Until next time, have a great weekend and don't forget to be kind to one another.
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