History of Ronald McDonald, his origin and history as a brand ambassador for the McDonald’s fast food corporation
WGN-TV’s “Bozo’s Circus” helped make “McDonald’s” a household word throughout Chicago in the 1960s.
The idea began in Washington, D.C. where two McDonald’s drive-in restaurant franchisees, John Gibson and Oscar Goldstein (Gee Gee Distributing Corporation), decided to target kids by sponsoring WRC-TV’s (NBC) “Bozo the Clown” show starring Willard Scott as Bozo. When WRC canceled the show in 1962, Gee Gee created “Ronald McDonald the Hamburger-Happy Clown” and hired Scott to portray the character in 1963.
In 1967, WGN-TV’s Don (Sandy the Tramp) Sandburg portrayed Ronald McDonald in Chicago TV ads and Ray (Oliver O. Oliver) Rayner portrayed Ronald in national TV ads that aired from 1968 until 1969.
Source: WGN-TV’s Bozo the Clown timeline
THE CLOWN WHO REDESIGNED RONALD.
Ringling Brothers Circus Clown Michael “Coco” Polakovs played the first National TV Ronald McDonald. “Coco” redesigned the look of Ronald’s costume, wig and makeup when the character went national. He made 8 TV commercials as Ronald in 1967, plus one appearance in the 1966 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Watch a 1967 Coco/Ronald commercial here, with his Ringling sidekick Duane “Uncle Soapy” Thorpe as Mr. Muscle.
Then watch a very interesting 15 minute video “The Suit That Launched Ronald McDonald” >> https://www.pbs.org/…/history-detectives-the-suit-that…/