McDonald's introduced the character Mac Tonight in advertising in 1986.
Mac Tonight was a sunglasses-wearing, crescent-headed character used to promote McDonald's evening business. The campaign adapted the song “Mack the Knife,” with the new phrase “Mac Tonight” connecting the familiar tune to late-night dining.
The character became especially associated with television commercials in the United States during the second half of the 1980s. His crescent-moon head made him visually distinct from McDonald's established cast, including Ronald McDonald and the McDonaldland characters.
Mac Tonight is sometimes confused with a permanent mascot or a menu item. He was primarily an advertising character for a specific campaign, not a core restaurant product. McDonald's later stopped using the character after a legal dispute involving the song's rights holder, but the campaign remains one of the company's most recognizable branding experiments.