Ronald McDonald and Richard Simmons?
John Nardini points us to: Ronald McDonald made over.
I don’t think this is going to work. The reason? The entire value of Ronald is as a reminder of what we (boomers) felt like when we were six. Going to McDonald’s is a way of reliving that memory.
If you change Ronald too much, either we’ll ignore him (likely) or reject him.
Yes, McDonald’s could conceivably spend the cash necessary for a reinvention, but why bother? Why not invent someone new, someone for a new generation?