What was McDonald’s first national advertising character after the Speedee era?

Ronald McDonald was McDonald’s first national advertising character after the Speedee era.

McDonald’s introduced Ronald McDonald in 1963 as a clown character designed to appeal especially to children and families. Willard Scott, then a television personality, was the first person to portray Ronald in a McDonald’s commercial. The character became the center of a much larger fictional world built around the restaurant brand.

Ronald’s appearance helped McDonald’s distinguish itself in television advertising. His red hair, yellow clothing, striped details, and clown styling made him visually memorable, while the restaurant’s other characters were added later to expand the McDonaldland setting.

This history is sometimes simplified by calling Ronald McDonald the company’s first mascot. Earlier branding used Speedee, the chef character. Ronald was instead the major national advertising character who replaced Speedee’s role in the public-facing identity during the 1960s.