It’s hard to believe that way before he was creeping out little kids on The Today Show, Willard Scott was terrifying children as the original Ronald McDonald. This commercial, which aired in 1963, features the birthday well-wisher in the first iteration of what would become the iconic fast-food clown. Fortunately for children everywhere, Ronald transformed over the years into a lovable figure, substantially less likely to haunt their dreams and leave them shivering in a cold sweat.
Still, Smucker’s would be proud of this well-aged gem of a commercial.
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