| The McDonald's restaurant chain has played an integral role in the post-World War II consumer socialization of young children. Prior to McDonald's, toddlers and preschoolers were not seriously targeted as consumers since they were considered incapable of brand discrimination. McDonald's, however, succeeded in encouraging consumer behavior among this cohort by creating an image of McDonald's as wholesome, as benevolent, and as fun.; Using material from McDonald's Corporation Archives, this study provides an analytical history of McDonald's, covering the operational innovations of founders Richard and Maurice McDonald, and the marketing and franchising skills of Ray Kroc. McDonald's is evaluated in the context of increasing suburbanization, the postwar Baby Boom, the cultural effects of the Cold War, and the growth in mass media. Major precursors included restaurant chains influenced by the rise of the automobile; cereal manufacturers, which were among the first to target children through print and radio advertising; and Walt Disney, whose Mickey Mouse projected a wholesome image, providing a model for McDonald's marketing spokesman, Ronald McDonald.; The study focuses on McDonald's use of corporate philanthropy as a marketing tool, the role of Ronald McDonald as a fantasy friend to children, and the corporation's response to Americans' growing psychological needs for security, predictability, and wholesomeness. The study concludes that, while child consumerism is a legitimate and inevitable extension of capitalism, McDonald's has crossed a line with Ronald McDonald. Ronald's original role as hamburger salesman has been effectively disguised by emphasizing to children his image as a friend, and, to parents, the corporation's image of philanthropy. Young children, who cannot distinguish between a marketing message and a sincere offer of friendship, run the risk of being unfairly exploited.; The significant issues addressed by this analysis include the filtering down of mass culture to a preschooler's level, the cultural effects of parents' delegating economic power to their young children, the loss of childhood innocence in a mass, post-industrial America, and the changing cultural role and image of the corporation in American society. These issues highlight the ways in which this particular analysis has significant implications for the broader study of post-World War II America. |
