How McDonald’s evolved to stay relevant

McDonald’s got their start by selling 15-cent hamburgers in California, and today their cheap, tasty fast-
food brand brings joy to adults and kids around the world. The golden arches are probably one the most
easily recognizable logos in the world – but there is so much more to their brand.

In 1948 the McDonald brothers revamped “McDonald’s” from a barbecue to a drive-in restaurant with a
streamlined nine-item menu and new logo – featuring the mascot Speedee. But the illustrated chef was
quickly replaced by the famous Golden Arches, established in 1952 by architect Stanley Clark Meston.

Those famous arches are what tied – and still tie – all the varying aspects of McDonald’s branding and
marketing together. In 1954, not only were the arches used in a new version of the logo, but when Ray
Kroc opened the first out-of-state location in Des Plaines, Illinois, the arches were incorporated into the
new building design as well. Even today, some McDonald’s (like one on the Niagara Falls Blvd. near
Mainstreethost’s headquarters) still have the golden arches protruding through their building.

These arches are now synonymous with the McDonald’s brand all over the world. All you have to see is
the yellow “M” to know exactly which brand you’re dealing with. Even the phrase, “golden arches” has
come to have its own cultural relevance. But there’s another image we associate with this chain as well.

Ronald McDonald was introduced in 1966 as the new face of McDonald’s in their first national television
commercial.

Though the golden arches still acted as McDonald’s logo, Ronald McDonald was an instant hit. And
Ronald spurred major changes to the rest of McDonald’s branding. Even though they continued their
efforts towards adults, they also started targeting their marketing directly to children. Within a few
years, McDonald’s revamped their marketing efforts again with the addition of Ronald’s new friends –
really expanding their brand to a fun, fast food favorite for the whole family.
Since the 1970s, McDonald’s has undergone multiple rebrands – and many campaigns. Here is a brief
overview of the multitude of faces McDonald’s has worn over the past six or seven decades:

Regardless of how you feel about the actual design choices, you can’t argue with the fact that
McDonald’s really understands the need to consistently adapt to an audience that is endlessly growing
and changing.

Recently, McDonald’s has recognized that consumers are becoming increasingly more health conscious
and tech-savvy. Because of this, they made changes to their marketing, brand, and products that
reflected their audience’s changing interests. In 1987, fresh salads were added to the menu, and today
there are even more healthy options such as apple slices, Halo oranges, and more. And we can’t forget
their transparency campaign of 2014 that filmed the process of how McDonald’s buys, cooks, and
packages their menu items.

Their first step into the digital world was in 1996 when they launched their first website. Now, their
digital brand consists of a main McDonald’s website and an app aimed for adult customers, plus a
separate Happy Meal website and McPlay app intended to market directly their younger audience.

Like them or not, the result of McDonald’s consistent efforts to revamp their brand, products,
advertisements, and even packaging is that they are one of the most successful examples of brand-
building in the world.