Ronald McDonald served as McDonald’s first major national advertising mascot in the 1960s.
The character was developed from an earlier local television advertising idea and was designed as a clown associated with McDonald’s. Willard Scott portrayed Ronald in the earliest television commercials, while later performers and advertising campaigns established the character’s familiar appearance.
Ronald’s rise coincided with McDonald’s growing focus on children and families. He became the central figure in commercials, restaurant appearances, and eventually the wider McDonaldland universe. Other characters, including Grimace and the Hamburglar, were introduced later as parts of that fictional setting.
This history can be confused with Speedee, McDonald’s earlier mascot from the “Speedee Service System.” Speedee represented quick service and belonged to the company’s original identity; Ronald represented the newer family-oriented advertising strategy that became dominant during the 1960s.