Ronald McDonald Dolls
Merchandise tie-ins in the 80s seemed to be cross-promotional. Saturday morning cartoons were based on toys, or toys were based on cartoon series. But 80s kids may remember a ubiquitous 1970s holdover that seemed to pop up in bedrooms and play spaces everywhere. This one wasn’t promoting a series, it was promoting hamburgers.
In 1971, McDonald’s released a cloth doll of its mascot, Ronald McDonald. The doll was 40 centimeters tall (roughly 16 to 17 inches), with its wide grin, frothy hair, and a yellow jumpsuit bearing the McDonalds logo printed onto a single piece of cloth. For decades, the red, white, and yellow clown was the personification of the restaurant, and the doll was a constant reminder that kids wanted French fries. The McDonalds company made it clear that “Ronald McDonald is not a salesman. His sole role is to represent the fun of McDonalds.”
