Ronald McDonald Gets a Makeover

McDonald’s famous mascot is getting a makeover. The clown will be ditching his classic image to a new and improved modern take on fashion.

The company announced that the new Ronald McDonald will be on social media channels, such as Twitter, using the #RonaldMcDonald hashtag and posting “selfies” galore.

The 51-year-old Ronald McDonald character, who first rose to fame in 1963, will be sporting a new look with yellow cargo pants, a red blazer, red-and-white striped shirt, yellow vest, and a fancy red bow tie. His fiery red hair is slightly tamer than it once was, but still blazing as ever.

“His iconic big red shoes will remain the same,” McDonald’s said in a statement.

Theatrical designer Ann Hould-Ward, who won a Tony Award for “Beauty and the Beast”, designed the iconic mascot’s updated attire. In a statement issued by McDonald’s she claimed, “Designing new clothes for Ronald McDonald was one of the highlights of my career. I’ve worked with some really big names over the years and suiting up a living legend was a real thrill.”

Less than a month ago, Taco Bell released an advertising campaign for their new breakfast menu that featured 25 real men named Ronald McDonald who said they favored Taco Bell’s breakfast menu over McDonald’s.

McDonald’s took to Twitter to respond to the commercial and tweeted a picture of Ronald petting a Chihuahua saying, “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.”

Ronald’s McMakeover was unveiled after reports noted a 1.7% drop in sales in U.S. restaurants during the first quarter. By revamping his look and joining social media sites, McDonald’s is looking to increase sales by targeting a younger demo.