McDonald's introduced Ronald McDonald in 1963 as the face of its television campaign.
The character was created for McDonald's advertising aimed at children and appeared in an early campaign alongside a restaurant setting and other branded imagery. The first Ronald was played by Willard Scott, who had worked as a local television personality and weather presenter.
Ronald McDonald eventually became the central figure of McDonaldland, a fictional world populated by characters associated with menu items and restaurant themes. His costume and appearance changed over the decades, but the red-haired clown remained closely linked with the brand.
The character is often confused with the Hamburglar or Grimace, who joined the wider McDonaldland cast later. Ronald is the mascot introduced in 1963; he is not the original Speedee character from the company's earlier service-system branding.