The original McDonald’s Speedee mascot wore a blue bow tie.
Speedee was a chef-like character used by McDonald’s before Ronald McDonald became the company’s best-known advertising mascot. The character’s name connected the brand with the McDonald brothers’ Speedee Service System, which emphasized rapid hamburger preparation.
Early McDonald’s signs and promotional materials depicted Speedee with a chef’s hat and a bow tie. The blue bow tie is a small but identifiable detail of the original character design, making it different from the red-heavy visual styling later associated with Ronald McDonald.
Speedee was eventually replaced in national advertising, but the character remains important in McDonald’s branding history. People sometimes confuse Speedee with later mascots because both represented fast service and wore chef-inspired clothing.