Ronald McDonald was introduced in 1963 as McDonald’s widely known clown mascot.
The character was created to make McDonald’s more appealing to children and families. The first television portrayal was performed by Willard Scott, who had already played a clown character called Bozo the Clown on television. McDonald’s later developed Ronald into a distinct character with red hair, face paint, a yellow jumpsuit, and red-and-white clothing.
Ronald McDonald is sometimes confused with the Hamburglar, Grimace, or Mayor McCheese. Those characters joined McDonald’s advertising universe later and represented different parts of the brand’s fictional world. Ronald remained the central human-like mascot and became especially prominent in children’s marketing and restaurant appearances.
The character’s visibility changed over time as McDonald’s advertising moved away from a large ensemble of mascots. Even so, Ronald McDonald remains one of the best-known advertising characters associated with a restaurant brand.