Which McDonald's character was introduced in 1963 as the brand's famous clown?

Ronald McDonald was introduced in 1963 as McDonald's famous clown character.

The character was created for television advertising as McDonald's sought a memorable personality for children and families. Willard Scott, then a television personality, played the first Ronald McDonald in early commercials. The character's costume used restaurant imagery, including a food-container-inspired outfit and a hamburger-shaped hat.

Ronald became the central figure of a broader fictional world that later included McDonaldland characters such as the Hamburglar, Grimace, and Mayor McCheese. Those characters helped McDonald's build a recognizable family-oriented advertising universe rather than relying only on product shots or restaurant signage.

Ronald is sometimes mistaken for the company's original mascot. That role belonged to Speedee, who appeared in earlier branding beginning in 1948. Ronald's arrival represented a shift toward children-focused character marketing and became one of the most visible developments in McDonald's advertising history.