Ronald McDonald debuted in a 1963 McDonald's television commercial.
The character was created as a cheerful clown who could speak directly to children and connect McDonald's restaurants with an imaginative world. Willard Scott, then a television personality, was the first person to portray Ronald McDonald in the early commercial. The character's costume included McDonald's visual cues, including red-and-yellow colors and food-inspired details.
Ronald soon became the central figure in McDonald's children's advertising. He was later joined by characters associated with the fictional McDonaldland setting, including the Hamburglar, Grimace, and Mayor McCheese. Those characters helped the company build a recurring fantasy world rather than rely only on product-focused commercials.
The debut date is sometimes confused with later redesigns or with the introduction of McDonaldland. Ronald's first television appearance came in 1963, while the broader character universe developed over subsequent campaigns.