The McDonald’s advertising character who tried to steal hamburgers was the Hamburglar.
The Hamburglar was one of the best-known figures in McDonaldland. His character was built around a simple comic premise: he wanted to take hamburgers, especially from McDonald’s, while the other characters tried to stop or expose him.
His appearance changed over time. Early versions were more sinister and wore a striped prison-style outfit, while a later redesign gave him a younger, more cartoon-like appearance. These changes reflected shifts in children’s advertising and character design.
The Hamburglar is distinct from Captain Crook, whose identity was associated with stealing fish sandwiches. The two characters are sometimes mixed up because both were comic thieves within McDonaldland’s broader fantasy setting.