Mascot Ronald McDonald "keeping a low profile"

It surprised me to read that the creepy clown phenomenon has already spread to Europe and beyond:
'Scary clown' craze prompts UK police warning to fancy dress shops


Attacker in clown mask stabs man in Sweden

Clown With Axe Arrested In Australia: Creepy Clown Scare Spreads Down Under

The first article at least provides an idea as to what may have started the craze:

Meanwhile, the film studio behind an upcoming Stephen King movie, It, has been forced to deny it sparked the craze, which began within weeks of the first published images of the fictional killer clown Pennywise, played by Bill Skarsgård, in the US.