McDonald's Original Mascot Was Creepier Than Ronald McDonald

Many associate the McDonald's fast food chain with its beloved mascot, Ronald McDonald. The clown has been the face of Micky D's since 1963, and is arguably one of history's most recognized mascots worldwide. With how long Ronald's painted face has been instilled in our minds, it's hard to believe that any other mascot would have existed beforehand. Indeed, before Ronald graced the world with his presence, McDonald's had a previous fast food mascot you may have forgotten about: a character called Speedee, and he was pretty creepy.

Back in the early 1950s, McDonald's introduced Speedee, a mascot who was essentially a chef with a burger-shaped head. As weird and cooky as the idea of a cycloptic (due to his permanent wink), burger-faced character may be, Speedee was iconic in its own right. His likeness was part of many McDonald's marketing campaigns, as well as its original logo. Indeed, he was often depicted as looking out to consumers, wielding a sign that read "I'm Speedee" — you know, just to make sure you knew. His name was inspired by his main purpose: to promote the McDonald's Speedee System, a process perfected in 1948 by the brand's founders, Dick and Mac McDonald, that ensured fast and efficient food preparation and service.

Like any company, McDonald's has overhauled and developed its mascots over the years. After Speedee, Ronald took over as the mascot; and in 1971, the creation of McDonaldland introduced us to a whimsical world featuring characters like Mayor McCheese, Grimace, and the Hamburglar. Truly, it was a roster of fast food royalty that provided us with some of the most nostalgic McDonald's advertisements to date.

Speedee remained a McDonald's mascot until 1967, when he was discontinued for a variety of reasons. The minor reason was to avoid being confused with Alka-Seltzer's even creepier mascot called Speedy (an effervescent tablet with the arms, legs, and head of a boy, wearing another tablet with his name on it as a hat). On the larger scale, when Ray Kroc took ownership in 1961, he had two aspirations for the company: simplify the branding and market towards families. This is likely what led to the creation of a clown mascot two years later, which ended up being a clear hit. 

Although Speedee is officially discontinued, anyone wanting to get a glimpse of him in person still can; a few McDonald's locations still boast signs featuring the original mascot. However, despite the fact that various Speedee signs are actually modern remakes, truly vintage signs can be found in Green Bay, Wisconsin; Muncie, Indiana; and at the oldest surviving McDonald's in Downey, California.