Which character became McDonald's primary mascot after Speedee faded from advertising?

Ronald McDonald became McDonald's primary mascot after Speedee faded from the company's advertising.

Ronald first appeared in McDonald's television advertising in 1963. The character was presented as a clown associated with the restaurant, giving the brand a highly visible personality aimed especially at children and families.

The mascot helped McDonald's move from a functional fast-service identity toward a broader family-entertainment image. Other characters, including the Hamburglar, Grimace, and Mayor McCheese, later expanded the fictional McDonaldland cast.

Speedee was an earlier symbol of McDonald's fast-service system, but Ronald McDonald became the company's best-known public representative. Some accounts date Ronald's earliest appearances through local advertising before national campaigns expanded his recognition; the important branding milestone is his national-era emergence in 1963.