McDonald’s launched McDonaldland in 1971 as the fictional advertising world for characters such as Ronald McDonald and the Hamburglar.
McDonaldland presented McDonald’s branding as a colorful fantasy setting populated by recurring characters. Ronald McDonald, the Hamburglar, Grimace, Mayor McCheese, and others appeared in television commercials, packaging, toys, and restaurant promotions.
The campaign gave the company a shared setting rather than a series of unrelated advertisements. Children could recognize characters across different products and media, while the restaurants became part of a consistent imaginative world.
McDonaldland characters changed over time, and some were used more heavily than others. The name should not be confused with the Happy Meal, which was a separate product and promotional concept introduced in the late 1970s.