McDonaldland Specification Manual, 1970s

‘The McDonaldland Specification Manual (a style guide) was sent to licensees in the 1970′s to help create McDonaldland-licensed items.’

- Jason Liebig

Thank you to Jason Liebig

9 comments to McDonaldland Specification Manual, 1970s

  • Jamie

    I remember being terrified of these characters as a kid. Because of that my parents took me to Burger King instead.

  • mcravener

    I do remember the Gobblins - very wacky.

  • John Simpson

    I remember finding these characters nauseating as a child.

    Later I discovered everyone responsible for marketing the McDonald’s brand at children is an absolute immoral cunt of the highest order.

    So there’s a coincidence I’m sure you’ll agree.

  • T.

    I’d love to see more of retro manuals, pictures and similar stuff of McDonald’s, as I currently am an employee of this “wonderful” franchise.
    Also I guess you could say, that you can’t blame the corporation for their (back then) child-oriented marketing. I see parents each day, who think it’s a good idea to spend their money at a fast-food-restaurant for their child. You can’t always blame the company, gaining money from idiots.

  • Home Fancy

    I do not recognize that pirate or the bearded scientist/Biblical figure? with bread in his pockets. I was born in 1980.

  • Dread Lion

    What a bunch of negative nancies.

    These are great! Yeah yeah, fast food is evil and what not. But look at these images, this goes well beyond mere product marketing. This is fantasy world building! As a child I had a small fictional universe in mind when I went to McDonalds. What a wonderful way to sell a burger!

    That being said, the Hamburglar scared the shit out of me.

  • Marc

    What role did the Professor have in McDonald Land? Also, why was the word “MAYOR” stripped away from Mayor McCheese? Did he lose the latest election at the time, relinquishing his title? Also, when did Grimace lose the extra limbs, the Hamburglur look less menacing and the Goblins got of the meth?

  • Kaitlyn

    I remember the pirate-I actually have an old drinking glass with him on it…. I think he was pushing the “McFish” sandwich…. But I don’t remember the professor, my guess he was replaced with Birdie later on…. Less scary, but too perky for my tastes.

    Also, there was another “burger” character besides the mayor-he was like a cop or something (I think I have an old glass with him on it, too)

    I think they’ve had to “dumb down” the characters in recent years to keep from scaring the kids… I think we had stronger constitutions back then, back before parents got sue happy over their kids being unhappy over every little thing (and their getting fat because parents can’t say no!)

    Sorry. Got on a tangent there…. ;)

    Kait

  • Bob

    I seem to remember the Grimace originally being the “Evil Grimace”. Then they turned him nice. And where’s Uncle O’Grimace, or whatever they called him? The green Grimace who marketed the Shamrock Shakes.

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