McScary: The Internet Is Frightened By New McDonald’s Mascot
McScary didn’t exactly go over the way McDonald’s had hoped.
The fast food chain this week unveiled a new Happy Meal mascot, one executives hoped would bring a new twist on the popular children’s meals, but instead turned out like something out of a campy horror film. The mascot is a Happy Meal box come to life, complete with gangly limbs and a wide, creepy smile filled with teeth.
On Monday, social media was abuzz with reactions to the new mascot, with many dubbing the effort McScary.
“It’s the meal that eats you,” one comment wrote.
There were plenty of others throwing in their two cents about McScary.
@McDonalds WHy is he in pain
— spot (@spo_ky) May 19, 2014
@Naive_Steve @McDonalds the teeth make it even creepier.
— #FiveSeasons&AFamily (@applextree) May 19, 2014
McDonald’s responded to the criticism, noting that the mascot has already been around for five years in markets outside the United States.
The company statement read:
Since 2009, as a global McDonald’s character, Happy has been loved and well-received by children and families in Latin America and Europe. Happy is all about encouraging wholesome food choices, like fruit, veggies, and low-fat dairy, and does so in a fun, positive, creative way. Social media is a great place to have a conversation and express an opinion, but not all comments reflect the broader view.
The new Happy Meal mascot certainly fits in the chain’s larger strategy to offer healthier options. McDonald’s held its annual shareholders meeting on Thursday, where there was a focus on making changes away from the traditional high-calorie food on the company’s menu.
There are more changes on the way. In July, McDonald’s will start to offer “Go-GURT” low-fat strawberry yogurt in Happy Meals.
But McDonald’s may have to learn to live with the McScary nickname, at least until Twitter finds a new thing to mock.
