W hen Ronald McDonald appeared in a new TV ad in June, outfitted in a sporty version of his trademark yellow suit, snowboarding and skateboarding, even juggling fruit, the popular icon for the fast-food giant seemed to be having something of an identity crisis.
Nearly every aspect of the company's new marketing strategy centers on health.
Customers can now substitute bottled water and apple slices for soft drinks and fries or skip the bun and get a lettuce-wrapped burger.
McDonald's campaign signals a major shift in marketing that, if successful, could help redefine fast food.
If this global behemoth can effectively sell consumers on its healthier menu, competing chains such as Burger King and Carl's Jr.
Just last weekend, the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Health and Human Services held a two-day forum to look at childhood obesity and the effect of fast-food marketing on kids.
The challenge is to convince the public that McDonald's, which a half-century ago pioneered the quick-serve genre commonly derided as "junk food," is now the place to go for good nutrition.
McDonald's says that it has boosted business by nearly 2 million customers a day since 2002 and that worldwide sales in restaurants open at least one year jumped 6.9 percent last year.
Salads were introduced in 1986 and, in the 1990s, the company launched a nutritional campaign for children and added a nutrition section to its Web site.
For 50 years, McDonald's has primarily counted on burgers and fries to drive its revenue and fuel its expansion to 119 countries.
Although Americans have long had a love-hate relationship with fast food, growing concerns over health issues now pose a seemingly larger threat to the chain's strategy.