Mayor McCheese was introduced in 1971 as the mayor of McDonaldland.
The character had a large cheeseburger-shaped head, a formal mayoral outfit, and a sash identifying his civic role. He was part of McDonald’s expanded character-based advertising, which presented the restaurant’s food and mascots within a colorful fictional setting aimed primarily at children.
Mayor McCheese appeared alongside characters including Ronald McDonald, the Hamburglar, Grimace, Birdie, Captain Crook, and the Fry Kids. His design made the connection between the fictional world and McDonald’s menu especially direct: the character was essentially a walking cheeseburger image.
He is often confused with Officer Big Mac because both were burger-headed McDonaldland figures. Their roles were different: Mayor McCheese was the town’s mayor, while Officer Big Mac was associated with law enforcement.