What was McDonald's first named advertising mascot?

Speedee was McDonald's first named advertising mascot.

Speedee was a chef-like figure used by McDonald's in early branding after Richard and Maurice McDonald reorganized their restaurant around a faster self-service system. The character was associated with speed and appeared in the company's early signs and advertising. His name reflected the central selling point of the original McDonald's service model: customers could receive a limited menu quickly.

Speedee predates Ronald McDonald, who became the company's best-known mascot in the 1960s. The two characters served different branding eras. Speedee represented operational efficiency, while Ronald was designed as a more imaginative character for family-oriented advertising.

The name is sometimes confused with the later Golden Arches because early McDonald's signs could feature both the Speedee figure and architectural branding. Speedee was eventually phased out as the arches and Ronald McDonald became more prominent, but the character remains an important link to the restaurant's early visual identity.