Hey Ron!How's it going man? Long time no see. I remember I used to really like you. Which says a lot because I grew up terrified of clowns.
But not you.
No sir.
You were the nicest guy in the whole wide world.
Ronny, you were the man who loved bringing hamburgers, toys, and utter happiness in an otherwise dull and rainy Seattle day.
My fondest memories was when I was 6 years old and you came to visit my elementary school and you threw rubber chickens in the gym's basketball hoop. Dude, that was the coolest thing I've ever seen at that age.
Ronald McDonald was my hero.
I loved Happy Meals. There's nothing like holding that box with the golden arches handle.
But I'm here not to give you props but to chastise you. In the end you are no better than that clown from the movie "It." Your greedy corporate officers approved sinister marketing campaigns that pitted me against my mother's home cooking. No, her food did not come with a toy or in a fun box so how could she compete? How could I, at the tender age of 4,5 or 6, know any better?
According to Consumer Reports magazine, "young children have difficulty distinguishing between advertising and reality in ads, and ads can distort their view of the world."
Research has shown that children between the ages of two and five cannot differentiate between regular TV programming and commercials. Young children are especially vulnerable to misleading advertising and don't begin to understand that advertisements are not always true until they're eight.
You, Mr. Ronald, knew this very well and took full advantage of it. Now children advocate groups want you dead, but no, you are Steven Segal. You are "Hard to Kill." Shareholders want to keep you going and the President and CEO of Micky D's because of all the wonderful things you do.
And you do good work.
I really like the Ronald McDonald House and charities you are involved in. Unfortunately, I wish you would be doing a lot more than that by promoting better food items, teach kids how to count calories, portion control, and engage others in healthy exercise.
It's not your fault that America is fat. It's not your fault that I am considered overweight for my height. But I do believe that with your power and influence you and make a better difference in the lives of young children who will forever remember how you reached out to them like you did when I was a young kid.
About the Author: E. LaVielle is currently a Senior Account Manager for a software company in Seattle, WA, with a degree in Marketing from Western Washington University and over 7 years of work experience in marketing, health insurance, and e-commerce. Her passion for marketing made her write this blog. Seriously...it did.
