McDonald’s introduced Ronald McDonald in a television commercial in 1963.
The character first appeared in the Washington, D.C., market, where local advertising helped McDonald’s present itself as a restaurant especially appealing to children. Willard Scott, then a television personality, portrayed the earliest version of Ronald McDonald. The character’s costume included a paper-cup hat, a tray, and other food-related elements before later designs became standardized.
Ronald was not McDonald’s first branded character. The chain had previously used Speedee, a chef-like mascot associated with its original Speedee Service System. Ronald eventually became the company’s best-known character and the central figure in McDonaldland advertising.
Later versions of Ronald received a brighter, more consistent costume and appeared alongside characters such as Grimace, the Hamburglar, and Mayor McCheese. The 1963 debut date refers to Ronald’s first television-commercial appearance, not the creation of every later version of his design.