What was McDonald's first national advertising character besides the Speedee mascot?

Ronald McDonald was McDonald's first major national advertising character after Speedee.

Ronald appeared in McDonald's advertising in 1963 and became the face most closely associated with the brand's child-focused marketing. His bright costume, red hair, and clown persona made him visually distinctive in television commercials and restaurant promotions.

The character was later placed within McDonaldland, a fictional world populated by additional mascots. The Hamburglar, Grimace, and Mayor McCheese became familiar supporting figures, but they were introduced after Ronald had established the brand's main mascot identity.

The wording matters because Speedee came earlier and was an original mascot, while Ronald represented the next major phase of McDonald's branding. Some people identify the Hamburglar as the chain's first famous character because he became especially memorable, but his role began after Ronald's introduction.