Ronald McDonald Loses the Jumpsuit, Is Ready for His Selfie

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Ronald McDonald's new look is a more modern take on past iterations of the clown's wardrobe.

Image: McDonald's

By Melissa Goldin2014-04-26 02:00:19 UTC

Ronald McDonald is taking a page out of the millennial playbook.

The 51-year-old clown revealed an updated wardrobe and a hashtag of his very own Wednesday, an effort which is meant to make the fast food mascot appear more modern and sophisticated while highlighting his work in communities around the world.

Ronald's threads have been updated periodically since his debut in 1963. This time he is trading in a voluminous yellow jumpsuit for more form-fitting cargo pants and a vest. On special occasions he will sport a bow tie and a bright red blazer featuring the Golden Arches on the front pocket and his signature on the back. Some iconic elements will remain, however, including his red-and-white striped shirt, clown shoes and shocking red hair. The new look was created by Tony Award-winning designer Ann Hould-Ward.

"Ronald plays an important role in pop culture and peoples' collective memories," David Zlotnik, McDonald's director of global marketing, told Mashable. "Ronald is all about his mission of looking for good things in the world, creating good things in the world and sharing them with others."

The hashtag #RonaldMcDonald will track the clown's do-gooder endeavors such as teaching kids about bullying and visiting Ronald McDonald House Charities. He won't have his own handle yet, but will post from the company's corporate accounts, including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. This move is in line with McDonald's general push toward social media — the company joined Snapchat in February.

"Ronald evolves with the times," Zlotnik said. "Technology has advanced and Ronald wants to be a part of that conversation happening in social media."

This new image will roll out to restaurants, many which have also been modernized, in the next few years. Ronald's new duds will begin showing up in television ads and other promotional materials later this year.

Explore Ronald McDonald's evolution through the years below.