When you think about McDonald's, it's likely that the smiling clown mascot Ronald McDonald will come to mind.The cheeky clown was created all the way back in 1963 to serve as a friendly face for the fast food chain, and he became a prominent part of the brand along with the much-loved hamburgers and nuggets.However, he seemed to disappear off the face of the earth back in 2016, no longer appearing on packaging or instore decor.
The news came as a shock to McDonald's fans, but many are just finding out the real reason why the franchise mascot was scrapped - and it's more disturbing than you might think.
The Mirror reports that far from a typical marketing move, McDonald's phased out Ronald McDonald's appearances when a creepy clown craze swept across the UK and the US.
The bizarre trend saw a number of different incidents where people dressed up as clowns in order to scare the public, and there were even reported sightings of costume-wearers wielding dangerous weapons.
Read more on dailyrecord.co.uk