Ronald McDonald replaced Speedee as McDonald’s best-known mascot after his advertising debut in 1963.
Ronald was created as a colorful clown character for television advertising and was designed to appeal strongly to children and families. His bright costume, red hair, and association with McDonaldland made him far more prominent in later consumer branding than Speedee, the earlier chef mascot.
The character’s first television portrayal was by Willard Scott, who had already played a clown character named Bozo. Ronald’s identity developed as McDonald’s advertising expanded, and later campaigns placed him alongside characters such as the Hamburglar and Grimace.
Speedee did not vanish from the company’s history, but Ronald became the public face most associated with McDonald’s family marketing. The shift illustrates how the brand moved from emphasizing service speed to building a larger fictional world.