Ronald McDonald appeared in early 1960s television advertising before the McDonaldland characters.
McDonald's introduced Ronald McDonald in 1963 as a clown-themed advertising character. Early television commercials used him to make the restaurant more appealing to children and to give the company a recognizable human-like spokesperson.
The later McDonaldland campaign added a larger cast, including Grimace, the Hamburglar, and Mayor McCheese. Because these characters are often remembered together, people sometimes assume they all debuted at the same time. Ronald's earlier introduction is the key chronological distinction.
Willard Scott played Ronald in the first televised McDonald's commercials. The character's appearance evolved after that early period, but the basic visual identity—red hair, clown makeup, bright clothing, and oversized shoes—remained strongly associated with the brand. Ronald later became the central figure connecting the wider McDonaldland cast.