Which McDonald's character was presented as the brand's clown mascot?

Ronald McDonald was presented as McDonald's clown mascot.

The character first appeared in McDonald's television advertising in 1963. Early portrayals connected Ronald directly with the restaurant through a costume inspired by McDonald's food and packaging, helping create a memorable figure for children's marketing.

Ronald became the public face of McDonald's family-oriented advertising and later served as the central character in McDonaldland. His red hair, clown makeup, yellow clothing, and red-and-yellow color palette made him recognizable across international campaigns, even when other details of the advertising changed.

Ronald is sometimes confused with Speedee, the earlier mascot used during McDonald's formative years. Speedee represented fast service, while Ronald represented the later family and entertainment side of the brand. The Hamburglar and Grimace were also McDonaldland characters, but Ronald was specifically the clown mascot.