Which advertising character did McDonald's introduce in 1963 as its main clown mascot?

McDonald's introduced Ronald McDonald in 1963 as its main clown advertising mascot.

The character was created for children's marketing and quickly became a central face of the McDonald's brand. Early television appearances helped distinguish the restaurant from competitors by giving it a memorable fictional spokesperson.

Ronald later became the best-known figure in McDonaldland, where he appeared alongside characters such as the Hamburglar, Grimace, and Mayor McCheese. Those characters had separate introductions and roles, so they should not be treated as alternate names for Ronald.

Willard Scott portrayed Ronald in some of the earliest television advertisements. The character's costume and appearance changed over time, but the red-haired clown identity remained the core of the branding.