Update, 10/1/19, 5:20 p.m.: The pictures in question are not actually from a McDonald's ad but are actually Yotteba ads, the Daily Mail reports. Yotteba is a Japanese chain of tapas restaurants/pubs known locally for their "offbeat" postings and marketing. The design you see does, in fact, originate with artist WizardSkull, who also has no affiliation with this chain.
Original post, 9/27/19, 1:04 p.m.: While McDonald's recent plant-based burger announcement seems to be the topic of conversation right now, we've got a much more pressing issue at hand: The fast food giant has a terrifying new advertisement that features a rather...raunchy Ronald McDonald. There are fries in places fries shouldn't be.
The photo, which began circulating the web earlier this week, looks like it was pulled straight from a promo. But instead of letting the food speak for itself, they decided an illustration of Ronald McDonald with a six-pack and Speedo full of fries was the right advertising approach.
Twitter has, rightfully, lost its sh*t. "Thanks #Japan #McDonalds! I'm haten' it…" one user wrote. "Yo @McDonalds what y’all doing in Japan ? ##wtf," another added. But here's the thing—we don't know for sure whether it's a real advertisement. Especially given the artwork's striking resemblance (OK, fine, it's an exact copy) to Brooklyn-based artist Wizard Skull's "Sexy Ronald." Delish has reached out to both the artist and the fast food giant for comment.
According to his website, he began posting the NSFW McDonald's mascot around New York. "From there people began photographing him and he has spread across the world. He's been made into toys, t-shirts, backpacks, posters and stickers," the site reads.
Maybe McD's commissioned Mr. Skull for the piece? Maybe it's all a hoax. But the, um, provocative Ronald advertisement wouldn't be all that far fetched. In August, fans took notice of inappropriate plastic cups at McDonald's, also in Japan. And while they claim it was all a mix-up, IDK GUYS. Seems like a pattern. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
