In McDonald's branding history, which 1970s character had a cheeseburger for a head?

Mayor McCheese was the McDonaldland character with a cheeseburger for a head.

McDonald's used Mayor McCheese in children's advertising during the 1970s. He wore a mayoral sash and formal clothing, combining the visual authority of a town leader with a giant cheeseburger head. The character belonged to McDonaldland, a fantasy setting populated by branded figures and built around McDonald's food and restaurants.

The character's design was intentionally broad and cartoon-like. It allowed advertisements to present menu items as part of an imaginative world rather than as ordinary food products. Mayor McCheese also appeared with Ronald McDonald and other McDonaldland characters in television commercials and promotional material.

People sometimes confuse Mayor McCheese with Officer Big Mac because both had food-based heads and official-looking roles. Officer Big Mac had a Big Mac for a head, while Mayor McCheese had a cheeseburger head. The distinction is useful because the characters were separate members of the same advertising universe.