Which McDonald’s advertising character debuted in 1963 as the brand’s clown mascot?

Ronald McDonald debuted in 1963 as McDonald’s clown mascot.

The character first appeared in a television commercial in the Washington, D.C., market. Willard Scott, then a local television personality, played the earliest version of Ronald McDonald in that advertising campaign.

Ronald was designed to make McDonald’s especially appealing to children. His bright costume, red hair, and clown persona placed the restaurant inside a larger fictional world that later included characters such as Grimace, the Hamburglar, and Mayor McCheese.

Later performers and costume designs changed Ronald’s appearance, so the earliest television version does not look exactly like the modern character. The key branding milestone is 1963, when Ronald became the company’s principal child-focused advertising figure.