McDonald's introduced the fictional mascot Ronald McDonald in 1963.
The character first appeared in a Washington, D.C.-area television advertisement created for local McDonald's restaurants. Willard Scott portrayed Ronald in the earliest commercials, wearing a costume assembled from familiar fast-food items, including a cup-like hat and a tray.
McDonald's developed Ronald as a child-oriented brand ambassador. His bright clothing, red hair, and clown imagery made him visually distinct from ordinary restaurant advertising and helped connect the company with family marketing.
The mascot is sometimes dated incorrectly to the opening of the first McDonald's franchise or to the creation of the Golden Arches. Those were separate milestones: the first franchised restaurant opened in 1955, while the arches became a national logo in 1962.