Willard Scott created the original Ronald McDonald costume for McDonald's television advertising.
Scott, a television personality and weather presenter, portrayed an early version of Ronald McDonald in a 1963 Washington, D.C., advertisement. The costume used familiar McDonald's food packaging as visual inspiration, including a cup-like hat and a tray-like belt. This made the character immediately connected to the restaurant brand.
The early costume was much rougher and more improvised than the standardized Ronald McDonald design used later. McDonald's subsequently refined the character's appearance, clothing, and performance style as Ronald became a national advertising figure.
Scott is sometimes confused with the actors who later played Ronald or with the executives who developed McDonald's broader marketing. His connection is specifically to the original television portrayal and costume concept, not to the Golden Arches logo or the restaurant architecture.