Ronald McDonald was McDonald’s first nationally recognized advertising character, created in 1963.
Ronald was developed as a clown mascot to make McDonald’s especially appealing to children and families. The character quickly became central to the company’s advertising and appeared in television commercials, restaurant promotions, and later charitable campaigns connected with the Ronald McDonald House program.
His early television presentation was influenced by local promotional work, including appearances associated with television personality Willard Scott. McDonald’s then developed Ronald into a nationally used character and made him the public face of the brand for decades.
Ronald is sometimes confused with Speedee, the earlier chef-like mascot used by McDonald’s in its original service branding. Speedee represented the company’s fast-service system, while Ronald was a later entertainment-oriented character. Mayor McCheese was also introduced in 1963, but he was a separate McDonaldland figure.