Who is Ronald McDonald?

Ronald McDonald is a well loved character which symbolizes McDonalds.

He is one of Many who live in McDonaldland.

How Ronald McDonald Came About

When Ray A. Kroc helped the McDonald brothers make their fast-food enterprise big, he wanted to advertise on television using a circus vehicle he had seen on a show called "Bozo Circus".

Television was ideal for McDonalds, especially as children were fast becoming McDonalds most important customers. A franchiser for the enterprises called Ray Goldstein promoted "Bozo" the Clown from the circus to become the children's star; but in 1963, the television executives at the Washington station decided to axe the show. Goldstein was undeterred, and asked for a promotion agency, Kal-Elrlich and Merrick, to come up with ideas that would preserve McDonalds image among children. Something had to be done very quickly. Bozo the clown had become McDonalds spokesman and Merrick decided the only solution was to engage another clown in a television commercial. The way forward was to establish McDonalds own clown and produce its own commercials.

The agency proposed naming the clown Archie McDonald, a reference to the famous golden arches seen outside McDonalds restaurants, but there was already an Arch McDonald in Washington. Willard Scott, who had played Bozo the Clown, named the new clown Ronald McDonald, and went on to play the character.

Above: Ronald McDonald - The Very First Design as played by Willard Smith, Ronald McDonald - Original design, Ronald McDonald - Famous Design, and Ronald McDonald - The 2003 Version

Ronald McDonald made his debut in Washington D.C., in October 1963. Janet Vaughn designed the costume. The hat consisted of a tray with a styrofoam burger and a bag of fries, a milkshake, shoes shaped liked buns, and a nose fashioned out of a McDonalds cup. The belt buckle was made out of a styrofoam hamburger. The commercial featured Ronald McDonald pulling hamburgers out of his belt. Ronald McDonald's appearance marked the first occasion a "character" was used in commercials in the U.S.A.

By 1965, Ronald McDonald became the national spokesman for the McDonalds restaurant chain.

To this day the clown is of great appeal to children around the world.

How McDonaldland Began

It was not until the late 1960s that McDonalds Corporation established their marketing department in response to the massive expansion project led by Ray A. Kroc.

At this time fast-food commercials were practically non-existent. McDonalds restaurants ran their first commercial on television in 1970 (In the U.S.A) to the surprise of everyone because no food was promoted: instead seven "employees" danced around a McDonalds restaurant singing a song. Needham (of the advertising agency Needham, Harper and Steers) produced a theatrical theme for the commercial using up-and-coming actors who later went on to become movie or television stars.

Using the theatrical theme, Needham created McDonaldland, filling it with a host of storybook characters. These characters were: Hamburglar, Mayor McCheese, Grimace and Officer Big Mac. All of these characters are very famous with children nationwide today because of the Happy Meal promotions.

What you will see next are pictures of characters from McDonaldland.