Random Mac Tonight, Piano-Playing Moon Man Who Got McDonald’s Sued (11 items)

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  (#1) ‘Mac Tonight’ Was The First Acting Role Of Doug Jones, Who Would Go On To Play Monsters In ‘Hocus Pocus’ And ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’

  All successful actors initially earn their chops in minor roles or filming TV commercials. Doug Jones was no different. He landed his screen debut when he got the part playing Mac Tonight in 1987, and ended up starring in 27 of the popular noir-cool ads.

  It would be a sign of things to come. Although Jones had initially set his sights on becoming a sitcom star, his 6-foot-3, wire-thin frame and contortionist-like abilities would earn him a prolific career as a costume actor. Jones is one of the most successful modern actors - with one of the least familiar faces. Since starring as Mac Tonight, he's earned more than 150 acting credits spanning more than three decades. His many fantastical portrayals include Billy Butcherson in the cult classic Hocus Pocus; a creepy, thin clown in Batman Returns; a contortionist on The Weird Al Show; Abe Sapien in the Hellboy series; Amphibian Man in The Shape of Water; and a pair of iconic modern creatures in Pan's Labyrinth.

  Years later, the actor has fond memories of his McDonald's role. On March 9, 2017, the actor celebrated the 30th anniversary of his acting career with a throwback Twitter post honoring his role as the unforgettable character.
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  (#2) The Name Was Based On ‘Mack The Knife,’ A Song Popularized By Bobby Darin About A Killer

  Lyrics from the song "Mack the Knife":

  Now on the sidewalk 

  Lies a body just oozin' life 

  And someone's sneakin' around the corner 

  Could that someone be Mack the Knife?

  In an effort to cultivate nostalgia as well as a cool, more adult theme, McDonald's took inspiration from both real and fictional people for its Mac Tonight concept. Many adults of the '80s grew up on big-band crooners like Bobby Darin, whose rendition of "Mack the Knife" presented an incredibly catchy jingle opportunity for a company with "Mac" in its name.

  Despite the obvious phonological similarities between "Mack the Knife" and "Mac Tonight," the choice in song was a rather strange one. The original version of it was called "Moritat," which is German for "Murder Ballad," from an opera about a beggar-thief. It became an unlikely pop hit when Louis Armstrong heard Marc Blitzstein’s English adaptation, resonating with its "stabby" character thanks to his sketchy New Orleans upbringing. After Armstrong's version hit No. 20 on the charts in 1956, it became a jazz staple. Darin's version proved to be even more popular when it catapulted to No. 1 in 1959.

  Despite the song's unsettling origins, McDonald's bet the popularity of Darin's tune and the catchy Mac Tonight lyrics would override any associations with a "Murder Ballad." The fast-food giant had its jingle - now all it needed was the right character to deliver it.
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  (#3) McDonald's Ads Were Extremely Kid-Focused, And The Company Needed Something To Boost Dinnertime Business

  Jones may have breathed life into the McDonald's "Moon Man," as he would become known, but it was the Los Angeles ad agency Davis, Johnson, Mogul & Colombatto Inc. that conceived of the Mac Tonight commercials. The campaign took nearly a year to create and execute.

  In 1987, the firm launched four local TV spots on a budget of $500,000. The success of Mac Tonight propelled the firm further into success, eventually acquiring such clients as US Borax, the Chief Auto Parts division of Southland Corp., and Knott's Berry Farm.

  As for McDonald's, the fast food giant has a history of successful marketing tactics - the invention of McDonaldland being one particularly strong example. Launched in 1971 via the ad agency Needham, Harper & Steers, McDonaldland allowed the restaurant chain to expand beyond commercials and into kids' everyday lives in the form of toys and PlayPlaces. This campaign was wildly successful with children, but left older audiences feeling out of touch with McDonald's. The company also found its dinnertime numbers sagging.

  As a result, McDonald's decided to undertake a new marketing campaign targeting adults and the dinner crowd.
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  (#4) The Character Was Inspired By The Fictional TV Personality Max Headroom

  A jazz-belting Moon Man may seem like a random character for McDonald’s to develop, but his pallor complexion, dark shades, and black suit had precedent. In fact, it was inspired by Max Headroom. Initially appearing on British airwaves in the spring of 1985 and making his way across the pond to US television later that year, Max was popular with teens and adults during the mid-to-late '80s.

  Since that time, he's been portrayed and imitated in everything from major motion pictures like Back to the Future Part II, to rap videos such as Eminem's "Rap God," to one of the most fascinating TV hijackings in history. In an effort to spread some of that cult coolness onto its client, the ad firm Davis, Johnson, Mogul & Colombatto incorporated some of Max's primary characteristics into Mac Tonight's final appearance.

  Max Headroom also aired during after-hours programming, a further tie-in to the late-night/dinner crowd McDonald's was attempting to attract.
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  (#5) Mac Tonight Was Such An Instant Hit, The Campaign Went National In 1987

  Whether it was the change in tone, influence from an already popular icon, or the catchy jingle, Mac Tonight became an overnight success. The commercials were aired throughout the West Coast in January and February of 1987 to rave reception before McDonald’s decided to go national with the campaign.

  By the fall of that year, Mac was crooning about dinnertime just like a burger-happy Darin on TV sets across the country.

  At the time, McDonald’s was the nation’s ninth-largest advertiser, so going national with its homegrown ad meant big business for Davis, Johnson, Mogul & Colombatto.
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  (#6) This Was At The Height Of The ‘Burger Wars’ Of The Mid-'80s

  Mac Tonight aired during the peak of an era known as the "Burger Wars," when fast food chains were hemorrhaging money in cutthroat advertising. Headed by McDonald's, Burger King, and Wendy’s during the 1980s, the decade was rife with advertising featuring blatant criticisms on the standards of their competitors.

  One Burger King ad went so far as to directly name McDonald's, warning any McD's employees present to "leave the room" before the reputation of their company was obliterated. Eventually, companies had to face up to the unsustainable nature of their excessive advertising costs, which were starting to cause quarterly losses and even corporate layoffs.

  Mac Tonight gave McDonald's an edge on the competition during this tail end of the Burger Wars, which would cement him as a Golden Arches legend.
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  (#7) Singing Animatronic Mac Tonights Were Constructed In McDonald’s Locations Around The Country

  As a result of Mac’s overwhelmingly positive reception, the campaign was expanded to include in-store experiences in addition to commercials. Real-life Macs performed at restaurant locations around the country, often drawing crowds exceeding 1,500.

  Singing, piano-playing animatronics followed shortly thereafter, transforming the previously kid-centric McDonald’s interiors into lively Mac Tonight sets. When the animatronics eventually broke, they remained in place as stationary statues.

  Mac-themed decor would probably still be a commonplace sight while visiting McDonald’s had it not been for the events that followed shortly thereafter.
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  (#8) In 1989, Darin’s Son Sued McDonald’s For Unlawfully Co-Opting His Father’s Mannerisms

  It seemed like nothing could take Mac Tonight down. The character was so popular, there was even talk of him replacing Ronald McDonald as the company’s primary spokesman!

  However, the unlicensed use of Darin’s catchy slaying ballad would come back to haunt the burger chain in 1989. It turns out McDonald’s never paid for the rights to Darin’s likeness or his classic rendition of “Mack the Knife.”

  The singer's son, Dodd Darin, caught wind of the advertising and filed a suit seeking damages along with an injunction halting the Mac Tonight commercials. The suit was eventually dropped by Dodd, but McDonald’s chose to discontinue the character in 1990. Just a few years after it launched, the Mac Tonight ad campaign was dropped.

  Or was it?
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  (#9) McDonald’s Discontinued The Character, Though A CGI Version Of Mac Showed Up In A Series Of Ads In Southeast Asia

  McDonald’s tried to continue emulating Mac’s late-night cool with ads featuring Ronald McDonald behaving like an adult and doing “adult things,” like wearing a suit, dancing to disco, and shooting pool. Unfortunately, these post-Mac ads came across as awkward and were ultimately a failure.

  The company looked back to prior advertising successes for inspiration, and Mac Tonight briefly resurfaced as a result. The first time he reappeared was in 1996-97 for fresh US ads featuring Mac surrounded by office types letting their hair down to enjoy Big Macs and fries. But it was too little, too late. Mac had lost his coolness, coming off as forced and dated rather than smooth, and he was phased out once again.

  Then, in 2007, he reappeared once more, this time in CGI form for Southeast Asian markets, where he was received well by audiences, only to disappear a third time.
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  (#10) In The 2000s, The ‘Moon Man’ Became A Racist Internet Meme, Prompting McDonald’s To Totally Scrub The Character

  In a bizarre and sad twist, a rapping version of the character using an AT&T text-to-speech program was spread as a meme online sometime around 2010. Initially appearing on a 4chan/ymntd board, the first several videos were harmless parodies.

  Unfortunately, things took a twisted turn when the character was repurposed for similar videos featuring lyrics promoting white supremacy, police misconduct, and racially motivated propaganda. This disgusting interpretation of the "Moon Man" character shows the darker side of the web.

  He was revitalized by the alt-right in 2015, which prompted McDonald's to pull the last of any remaining Mac Tonight-themed decor from restaurants.
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  (#11) At Least One Functioning Mac Tonight Animatronic Lives On At The World’s Largest Entertainment McDonald’s And PlayPlace

  A previously functioning Mac Tonight animatronic does still remain in at least one McDonald's restaurant. Located mere minutes from Universal Studios in Orlando, FL, the World's Largest Entertainment McDonald's and PlayPlace houses more than 18,700 square feet of food, entertainment, and McD's history.

  Also known as "Epic McD," it features a 22-foot-tall play structure and a 2,000-square-foot arcade with more than 50 games. The location offers exclusive chef-inspired menu items, including waffles, omelets, pastas, and pizzas. You can also build custom sandwiches and burgers with the "Create Your Taste" menu, and sample specialty coffees from the on-site McCafe.

  Housed on the second floor of this McDonald's mecca sits Mac Tonight, perched jauntily by his piano. He makes for a remarkable time capsule, continuing to croon and serenade, unaware the world has passed him by.

  And, if you told him, he probably would just say, "I still love ya babe," and keep tickling the keys just the same.

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