Ronald McDonald was McDonald's first mascot to appear in a national U.S. advertising campaign.
McDonald's introduced Ronald as a clown character in 1963, building on earlier local promotional appearances. The character gave the company a human-like, highly recognizable representative who could speak directly to children and families.
Ronald was not the company's earliest visual symbol. Speedee had appeared in earlier McDonald's branding, and the Golden Arches were already becoming a major architectural and graphic element. Ronald's significance was that he became the central personality of national consumer advertising.
His costume and appearance changed over time, especially as McDonald's sought a more polished family image. Even with those revisions, Ronald remained one of the most widely recognized fast-food mascots in the world.