McDonald’s launched the fictional McDonaldland setting in advertising in 1971.
McDonaldland was a fantasy world populated by characters such as Ronald McDonald, Mayor McCheese, the Hamburglar, and Grimace. It gave the company a shared setting for television commercials, restaurant promotions, and children’s merchandise.
The campaign was designed to make McDonald’s more memorable to children and families. Although Ronald McDonald had appeared in advertising before McDonaldland was developed, the setting connected him with a larger cast of branded characters.
McDonaldland is sometimes confused with the McDonald’s PlayPlace concept. McDonaldland was an advertising universe, while PlayPlace was a physical restaurant play area introduced later. The characters gradually became less prominent in mainstream advertising, but they remain an important part of McDonald’s branding history.