In 1970, McDonald’s introduced kids to a magical place known as McDonaldland where Ronald and his friends lived. It was a land where trees talked in the apple pie orchard and seafood sandwiches swam in the Filet-O-Fish Lake. It was land that included a French Fry Thatch, a Hamburger Patch and Thick Shake Volcanoes. It didn’t make any sense, but we didn’t care. It was virtually a fast-food Disneyland.
Now, 55 years later, McD’s is taking adults down Memory Lane to relive some of the experiences in McDonaldland. A new website portal to the land opened online on August 12 that features a map of locations in the land and a list of characters that you may have forgotten over the years. They’re all here, although a bit modified (they’ve all had some work done over the years). And for the next four weeks, they are offering a Happy Meal … for adults.
The McDonaldland Meal comes with a QPC (Quarter Pounder with Cheese) or 10-piece McNuggets, medium fries, the new Mt. McDonaldland Shake (with hints of berry flavor and cloud-like pink dairy whipped topping) and one of six souvenir collectible tins. Each one contains postcards and stickers inspired by characters like Ronald McDonald, Mayor McCheese, the Hamburgler and Grimace.
The new website also features information on how to purchase fan merchandise and where to find popup events this summer in Michigan and Florida.
Ronald’s Origins
The McDonald brothers opened the first McDonald’s restaurant in San Bernardino, California on May 15, 1940, but Ronald McDonald didn’t show up until 1963. Since that time, 11 different actors have played the part.
The first was Willard Scott, a former Bozo the Clown actor and future Today Show weatherman. Scott created the “hamburger-happy clown” himself, but his creation doesn’t look anything like the red-haired clown that we know today. And if you aren’t a fan of the current rendition of Ronald McDonald, you haven’t seen Scott’s version. Scott appeared in three local commercials before a national advertising campaign in 1965.
In 1966, McDonald’s clown mascot got an extreme makeover which included a new actor. Latvian-born American circus clown, Michael Polakovs was the first to wear the big red shoes. Before then, he had been playing Coco the Clown for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus since the late 1950s. Polkovs was the first Ronald to introduce children to the magical McDonaldland. The new 2025 commercial features 44-year-old John Thompson as the red-wigged one.
The Origins of McDonaldland and Its Residents
Surprisingly, during the early days of McDonaldland, many of the residents there were a bad crowd. Everyone was a thief. The Hamburglar stole hamburgers while Captain Crook tried to keep all the Filet-O-Fish sandwiches for himself. The French Fry Goblins were known for stealing French fries from others. Evil Grimace (yes, EVIL Grimace) once sported four arms and used to steal milkshakes and Cokes. Officer Big Mac and Mayor McCheese had their hands full trying to keep the peace.
Later though, the characters were softened. Today, only the Hamburglar is truly bad, but even so, he’s just a nuisance. The Professor was introduced in 1971 as a scientist who created new inventions and Birdie the Early Bird flew in 1980 as the land’s first female character who was a huge fan of McDonald’s breakfast items.
Get yourself ready for a trip through McDonaldland.
There are thick shake volcanoes.
You’ll even find a French Fry Thatch.
Now just turn around, and see if you won’t find a Hamburger Patch.
As you’re heading for a McDonald’s…
In McDonaldland.
Where Did They All Go?
Although many adults are happy to revisit their childhood, they might be surprised to learn about the land’s dark side. In 1970, McDonald’s advertising agency, Needham, Harper and Steers contacted Sid and Marty Krofft to see if they would be interested in working together on a campaign for McDonalds.
The idea was to create a world like the one featured in the Krofft’s popular H.R. Pufnstuf TV series. The two parties talked over the phone several times but by August of that year, the deal fell through, but McDonalds went on to produce a series of commercials that looked and felt a lot like the “Living Island” featured on H.R. Pufnstuf. The Kroffts filed a lawsuit against McDonalds in September of 1971.
According to Justia U.S. Law, the complaint alleged that the advertising campaign “infringed the copyrighted H.R. Pufnstuf television episodes as well as various copyrighted articles of Pufnstuf merchandise.” A three-week trial began on November 27, 1973.
“In the context of this case, the distinction between these tests is important,” says Justia U.S. Law. “Defendants do not dispute the fact that they copied the idea of plaintiffs’ Pufnstuf television series basically a fantasyland filled with diverse and fanciful characters in action. They argue, however, that the expressions of this idea are too dissimilar for there to be an infringement.”
But the court didn’t see it that way. Sid and Marty Krofft Productions, Inc. were awarded $50,000.000 in damages. In 1977, an appeals court reassessed the damages in favor of the Kroffts to more than $1,000,000 and McDonald’s was ordered to stop producing some of the characters or they must be modified to become “legally distinct” and to “stop airing commercials featuring those characters until then.” (Image: Wikipedia)
From that point on, most of McDonald’s characters were still used in commercials, but Mayor McCheese and Officer Big Mac disappeared from view for unknown reasons. As for McDonaldland, it was closed up.
Until now.
Main Images: McDonald’s
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