What character became McDonald's primary mascot after appearing in U.S. advertising in 1963?

Ronald McDonald became McDonald's primary mascot after appearing in U.S. advertising in 1963.

The character was created as a clown who represented the playful, family-oriented side of the restaurant brand. Early television advertisements presented Ronald alongside McDonald's products and restaurant imagery, helping the company build recognition among children and parents.

Television personality Willard Scott is widely credited with the earliest portrayal of Ronald McDonald. The character's appearance later changed, and McDonald's developed a larger fictional world around him, including characters such as the Hamburglar, Grimace, and Mayor McCheese.

Ronald McDonald is sometimes mistaken for the brand's original mascot. That was Speedee, a hamburger-headed chef used before the clown character. Ronald's importance came from a later shift toward imaginative family marketing, rather than from the restaurant's original speed-of-service message.