Ronald McDonald first appeared in a 1963 television commercial for the Washington, D.C., area.
The character was created as a child-friendly advertising figure and was initially portrayed by Willard Scott, a local television personality who also played the Bozo the Clown character. Ronald’s costume included a yellow jumpsuit, red-and-white striped sleeves, and a tray-like hat holding a drink and food items.
McDonald’s later developed Ronald into the central figure of McDonaldland, a fictional world populated by characters such as the Hamburglar, Grimace, and Mayor McCheese. His design and portrayal changed over time, especially as the company moved toward more standardized national advertising.
A common mix-up is assigning Ronald’s debut to the launch of McDonaldland in 1971. Ronald appeared earlier, in local advertising, before the broader McDonaldland campaign expanded the character universe.