McDonaldland branding introduced Mayor McCheese, the hamburger-headed mayor, in 1971.
Mayor McCheese was one of the costumed characters created for McDonald’s advertising world, a fictional setting known as McDonaldland. His head resembled a cheeseburger, while his formal mayoral clothing gave him a civic role within the imaginary community.
The character appeared in television commercials and promotional material alongside figures such as Ronald McDonald, Grimace, the Hamburglar, and Captain Crook. His design made the product itself part of the fantasy world, a common strategy in children’s advertising during the period.
Mayor McCheese is sometimes confused with Officer Big Mac, another McDonaldland character whose head was styled after a Big Mac. The two characters had different names and roles, although both used familiar McDonald’s food imagery in their designs.