Where's Ronald
“He’s here. He’s there. Man, the guy is everywhere.”
-from McDonald’s kids page
Unlike Waldo of the popular children’s books, Ronald continues to build his popularity by making sure he isn’t hard to pick out in a crowd.
In the fall of 2009, Corporate Accountability International put out a national call for Ronald sightings to get a better sense of just where and how he was hooking kids on unhealthy food.
What did Americans find?
Well, it turns out that Ronald is no longer content just to interact with children when they visit McDonald’s. He has become involved in every aspect of childhood, with appearances in some of the most unlikely places – from schools to hospitals.
While on the surface Ronald’s running around may seem like community service, see if you can’t spot “branding and marketing by another name” in the examples that follow.
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0
33.8722371,-117.8703363
Joe
Placentia, CA
Here's Ronald McDonald talking to kids at their school in Placentia! -
1
39.952335,-75.163789
Charley D.
Philadelphia, PA
This is a sign from the McDonald's sitting right on the first floor of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia! -
2
39.1361111,-84.5030556
Gerry B.
Cincinnati, OH
Ronald was fantastic! If I was a kid I'd be sold on anything he stood for. He could do it all: Dance, sing, magic, juggling, art, comedy. The videos speak for themselves. He will be performing again in January at the same place. The results are also evident in the videos. -
3
32.802955,-96.769923
John
Dallas, TX
This is from the Dallas airport: a bunch of free kids' video games, with Ronald and his friends plastered all over the place. They were sitting right next to a McDonald's in the airport. -
4
36.1156071,-97.0583681
Deb
Stillwater, OK
Not marketing to kids? Here's Ronald with a bunch of Avatar action figures, in a Stillwater, Oklahoma restaurant.