What was McDonald’s first nationally broadcast mascot, introduced in 1963?

Ronald McDonald was McDonald’s first nationally broadcast mascot, introduced in 1963.

Ronald began as a local television character in the Washington, D.C., market, where Willard Scott portrayed him in a McDonald’s commercial. The character was then developed into the company’s principal national mascot and became a major part of its family-oriented branding.

His introduction represented a shift from McDonald’s earlier product and service imagery toward a large fictional personality who could connect the restaurant with children and family entertainment. Over time, Ronald appeared in commercials, public appearances, charity promotions, packaging, and the McDonaldland universe.

The question is sometimes confused with Speedee, an earlier McDonald’s symbol associated with the Speedee Service System. Speedee belongs to the company’s pre-Ronald era, while Ronald became the best-known mascot in the 1960s and afterward.