McDonaldland was the 1970s McDonald’s advertising world featuring Mayor McCheese, the Hamburglar, and other characters.
The fictional setting gave McDonald’s a consistent universe for television commercials, packaging, restaurant promotions, and children’s marketing. Ronald McDonald served as the central character, while the surrounding cast represented different parts of the brand’s playful identity. Mayor McCheese, Grimace, and the Hamburglar became especially recognizable figures from the campaign.
McDonaldland is sometimes confused with McWorld, a later McDonald’s promotional concept associated with global themes. It is also not the name of a real theme park or permanent restaurant chain. The term refers specifically to the fictional advertising environment created for McDonald’s branding.