McDonald’s introduced Ronald McDonald as its human mascot in 1963 to promote the restaurant to children.
The character was created during an early period of television advertising, when mascots helped brands become recognizable to young audiences. Willard Scott, later known as a television weather presenter, portrayed an early version of Ronald in commercials for the Washington, D.C., area.
Ronald’s costume used familiar restaurant imagery, including a red-and-yellow color scheme and a food-themed design. The character later became the central figure in a wider McDonaldland cast that included Grimace, the Hamburglar, and Mayor McCheese.
Ronald McDonald is sometimes confused with the Hamburglar because both are long-running McDonaldland characters. Ronald, however, is the brand’s primary human mascot, while the Hamburglar is a separate fictional character associated with stealing hamburgers.