McDonaldland was the fictional advertising world introduced by McDonald's in 1971.
The setting gave the company a shared environment for Ronald McDonald and a group of colorful characters. Television commercials, restaurant playgrounds, packaging, and promotional materials used the world to make McDonald's more appealing to children and families.
McDonaldland was not simply the name of one mascot. It was a complete branded universe containing locations, visual motifs, and characters connected with menu items or restaurant experiences. This distinction helps separate the setting from individual figures such as Grimace and the Hamburglar.
The campaign became especially visible during the 1970s and 1980s. Some of its characters later disappeared from regular advertising, but the name remains an important example of how McDonald's extended its branding beyond the restaurant sign into a fictional world.