• iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • Lad Files
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Extinct
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content
McDonald’s had an original mascot before Ronald McDonald that had to be replaced

Home> Lifestyle> Food & Drink

Published 21:19 20 Oct 2023 GMT+1

McDonald’s had an original mascot before Ronald McDonald that had to be replaced

McDonald's original mascot is still branded in some of their oldest restaurants.

Anish Vij

Anish Vij

Maccies fans you might be in for a shock after finding out that Ronald McDonald was not the original McDonald's mascot.

And the real reason why the OG mascot was ditched has now been revealed.

From what I can remember growing up, getting a Maccies happy meal was the highlight of the day, playing with the cheap toy once and never using it again.

And the image of the iconic McDonald's clown was always attached to the experience.

Advert

Ronald was the primary mascot of the American fast-food chain for over 50 years, first portrayed on TV by Willard Scott in 1963.

Willard Scott in an early McDonald's commercial.
McDonald's

Although Ronald McDonald still remains in some restaurants around the world, McDonald's distanced themselves from the mascot after the killer clown craze began to appear on social media back in August 2016.

Around the world, people in clown masks would display acts of violence ahead of an upcoming horror movie, and in Florida, an incident took place which saw a family being attacked by a group of 20 people in clown masks.

McDonald's released a statement at the time, which read: "McDonald's and franchisees in the local markets are mindful of the current climate around clown sightings in communities and as such are being thoughtful in respect to Ronald McDonald's participation in community events for the time being."

Advert

Despite 2016 largely being the end of McDonald's clown, it turns out here was actually a mascot before him called Speedee - a chef whose face was a hamburger.

Speedee was the OG McDonald's mascot.
McDonald's fandom

Speedee was the first ever McDonald's mascot and was also the first company logo before the use of the Golden Arches design from 1962.

Sadly for Speedee, the mascot was short-lived after people started confusing him with Alka-Seltzer's mascot Speedy, according to Delish.

However, another reason why Speedee was ditched, according to Alan Hess's research for the Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians, was because it lacked a connection with consumers.

Advert

"Market research showed that people identified McDonald's primarily with the golden arches [instead of Speedee]," the journal reads.

The good thing is, Maccies fans can still take a look at good ol' Speedee, who's hamburger-shaped head remains on show at the oldest McDonald's outlet in Downey, California.

Just last year, a man was shocked to discover a 60-year-old McDonald's meal in the walls of his bathroom.

Rob discussed the bizarre find further with Newsweek, explaining he is currently renovating both his kitchen and bathroom and that he found the McDonald's while removing a fixture.

The McDonald's bags had somehow been perfectly preserved.
u/slamminsammy2109/Reddit

Advert

"I noticed a piece of cloth stuck behind plaster and pulled it out to show my wife," he said. "It was balled up and we could tell there was something else inside.

"When we unwrapped it and found the old McDonald's bag and fries we were very surprised and grateful that is all we found hidden."

And guess what, Speedee's hamburger head was on the packaging.

Featured Image Credit: James Leynse/Corbis via Getty Images / Matt Cardy/Getty Images

Topics: McDonalds, Food And Drink

Anish Vij
Anish Vij

Anish is a Journalist at LADbible Group and is a GG2 Young Journalist of the Year 2025. He has a Master's degree in Multimedia Journalism and a Bachelor's degree in International Business Management. Apart from that, his life revolves around the ‘Four F’s’ - family, friends, football and food. Email: [email protected]

X

@Anish_Vij

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

2 hours ago
3 hours ago
5 hours ago
10 hours ago
  • 2 hours ago

    People in stitches after seeing what got picked up as dad was going through airport security full-body scanner

    Randy Peterson's security fiasco fortunately didn't hold up his holiday too much

    Lifestyle
  • 3 hours ago

    Sex expert explains why new ‘hotwifing’ trend has become so popular and how it’s ‘saving relationships’

    The trend is part of the growing world of ethically non-monogamous relationships

    Lifestyle
  • 5 hours ago

    Woman who is a ‘hotwife’ explains how she got into lifestyle and why she does it

    Heard the term 'hotwife' but weren't sure what the term means? Keep reading

    Lifestyle
  • 10 hours ago

    Martin Lewis reveals huge holiday mistake that could ruin your trip

    The money saving expert doesn't want holidaymakers to get caught short if their trip gets cancelled

    Lifestyle
  • Never-seen-before burger is being dropped in new McDonald’s Christmas menu from today
  • McDonald's issued statement about chilling reason they decided to phase out Ronald McDonald clown
  • Why Henry Cavill had to be replaced as Superman as new film breaks records
  • McDonald’s fans fuming over decision to secretly remove hugely popular menu item