Saving Kids From McDonald’s Junk Food Marketing
The cute clown, Ronald, has been the best bet for McDonald’s for the past half a century, selling its unhealthy products to kids, with a not-so-straight face. Now with the US White House recommending that the food industry refrain from selling unhealthy food products to kids through such deceptive marketing tools, fast-food chains like McDonald’s are on the defensive.
What has risen the heckles of fast-food chains like the McDonald’s is the recent report “Clowning with Kids’ Health” released by the Corporate Accountability International (CAI). CAI is an organization that has, in the past as well, raised its voice against corporate abuse of our world and has now launched a new campaign seeking retirement of Ronald McDonald from the ‘unhealthy business’ of selling junk food to kids.
First of all, let us take a look at the interesting details pointed out in the report against Ronald, whom the report refers to as “Spokes-clown”, quite aptly:-
1) In 1963, rookie television announcer Willard Scott suited up as Ronald McDonald and the clown made its own commercial debut.
2) Among other efforts to pull children into McDonald’s, the most popular are Playplaces and Happy Meals, which come with toys, also marketed as “collectibles” to the parents.
3) Today, McDonald’s boasts that Ronald McDonald is as recognizable as Santa Claus. The brand he helped create now exceeds $ 32 billion, making it the sixth most valuable brand in the world after Google, Apple and Disney. Quite a frightening prospect that is!!
4) School programs! Yes, in its search for more and more customers, the McDonald’s didn’t even spare the schools with Ronald turning up in all unexpected places and promoting healthy lifestyles and good grades, quite ironically. The report talks of examples among schools and hospitals, specially children’s hospitals, which give away free McDonald’s as reward for good grades and good behaviour.
5) An interactive website, ronald.com, is targeting even those kids who are net-savvy and spend a lot of time on the Internet. Although, the website shows no direct link with the McDonald’s but its home page is enough, where it says, “Hey Kids, This is Advertising!”
Armed with these facts, the CAI has launched a campaign seeking signatures from the public, in support of its Ronald McDonald’s retirement campaign. With this campaign, the CAI intends to take away the lucky mascot of the fast food chain and make people aware how the spokes-clown has, over the years, contributed to the rising levels of childhood obesity in America.
From just 4.3% in 1973, in the age group of 6-11, the childhood obesity rates have gone up more than four times to 17% in 2006. This disturbing trend has been made possible only because of the Ronald McDonald and his aggressive marketing tactics.
If you still don’t believe it, listen to what one Rebecca Coolidge, a first grade teacher in San Francisco, has to say, “Clowns and teachers are both figures that children trust. Just like using teachers to bring kids into McDonald’s, to sell and serve them fast food, the use of Ronald McDonald as a marketing took exploits that trust.”
Even with so many facts staring into our place, some cynics still question the benefit of retiring Ronald from service. Well, they can rest assured because the CAI’s past campaigns against marketing icons Joe Camel and the Marlboro Man, have led to serious declines in youth smoking rates. Moreover, the American public, right from the White House Task Force against child obesity to the middle-class American Moms, everybody has joined in the battle against bulge and 'Ronald.'
You can also join the battle at: retireronald.org
You can also read the full CAI report to get a better idea of the issue.
(Photo Courtesy: learn.bowdoin.edu)
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