As obesity becomes an increasing problem, in particular among children, the appeal and selling power of fast food restaurant mascots are losing steam. What once helped these chains seem family friendly and fun is now viewed as an unethical way to market unhealthy food to children. The American Psychological Association released a study showing a strong correlation between advertising of non-nutritious food and rising childhood obesity rates. The results were exceptionally worrisome in younger children as the study concluded that children under 6 could not tell the difference between advertising and programming, and children under 8 could not identify the persuasive content in advertisements. Even more worrisome is that the children in the study were able to retain information after just one exposure to the advertisements.  

The trend of losing formerly beloved mascots isn’t a new one and it’s not exclusive to fast food. Anyone remember Joe the Camel? He was one of the most iconic mascots of all time and a little bit too good at his job. A backlash happened as people began to see through the tobacco company’s intentions to market to children and gain smokers young. Camel retired Joe in 1997. The same thing is happening with fast food mascots and they are dropping like flies.

In addition to obesity concerns, the increasing popularity of upscale casual restaurants like Chipotle and Panera is forcing traditional fast food chains to update to stay competitive. The cartoonish mascots don’t fall in line with the popularity of more seemingly mature chains.

Some chains, however, have opted to update their mascots to a more modern look instead of completely ditching them. Hooter’s owl logo, nicknamed “Hootie,” recently received a streamlined look from Atlanta design firm Sky Design. Both Wendy’s and Starbucks have released streamlined versions of their logo recently, as well.  There have even been a few brands, like Little Debbie, that have managed to avoid the mascot massacre by staying true to their brand even if their products are unhealthy. 

Mascots Retired

Here are some of the previously adored mascots who have been retired recently, or are in risk of retirement very soon:

Colonel Sanders, KFC. The fast food chain recently launched a new brand revamp called "KFC eleven" that does not include the iconic bow-tied Colonel Sanders. It’s just another ongoing progression for the chain to appear healthier and more serious. The name KFC is an acronym for what used to be Kentucky Fried Chicken, but the chain officially changed the name to KFC in 1991 to draw attention away from the word “fried.”

The restaurant has not made any official announcements to retire the colonel, but the new KFC eleven marketing may edge him out eventually. According to Joseph Szala, founder and creative director of Vigor Branding, the new KFC eleven concept is an attempt to be a “more generic brand” and distance it from its southern roots and fried chicken.

The Hamburglar. The Hamburglar, Grimace and other McDonald's mascots haven't been seen in the company's marketing for nearly a decade now, but their peer Ronald McDonald may also be in danger. He is much less visible in marketing these days and even has an entire non-profit—Retire Ronald—dedicated to his retirement. If you visit its page, you will see an illustration of the “Children’s Marketing Icon’s Retirement Home” with Joe Camel, Anheuser Busch’s Spuds McKenzie and the Marlboro Man.

The Burger King. Burger King’s masked mascot “The King” was banished in 2011. His retirement was less about ending the appeal to children and more about the fact that consumers never really connected him to the brand. In fact, the mascot became a running Internet joke mostly because of what many perceived to be his creepy appearance. He earned the name “Creepy King,” which Burger King actually embraced, but The King ultimately didn’t connect enough to the brand and was abandoned for a more food-based approach.

Mascots Holding Strong

Not all brands are choosing to retire their mascots. Some are sticking with tradition regardless of changing trends around them. Others have kept their mascots, but have given them a more streamlined look.

Cap’n Crunch.  Although there have been rumors for a few years that the Cap’n might be retiring, the character is still sailing strong after 50 years. Most recently, the Cap’n held a “press conference” on his weekly YouTube show, “The Cap’n Crunch Show,” to put to rest rumors that he wasn’t a real captain. A cereal consumer had brought to attention that he only had three stripes on his uniform, which in U.S. Navy terms means the mascot is technically only a commander.

Little Debbie. The Little Debbie mascot did receive a face-lift in 2013, but the changes were minimal. The mascot, a portrait of founder O.D. McKee’s granddaughter Debbie McKee, has changed very little over the past 53 years. Little Debbie received a new collar and sharper eyes and cheeks, but the differences are so subtle, it’s likely few consumers will even notice.

Chuck E. Cheese. Last year, the sweet big-grinned, two-dimensional, baseball hat-wearing mouse disappeared, reappearing as a streamlined, edgier rock star mouse. The mascot change was an attempt by the entertainment restaurant chain to reach a wider range of kids who may not have identified with the older mascot.  The new mascot sports a fitter figure and an electric guitar, but will still rock the purple and green t-shirt.