What fictional advertising world did McDonald’s launch in the early 1970s?

McDonald’s launched the fictional advertising world McDonaldland in the early 1970s.

McDonaldland was a colorful fantasy setting populated by personified food and restaurant-themed characters. Ronald McDonald served as its best-known resident, while characters such as Mayor McCheese, Grimace, the Hamburglar, and Birdie the Early Bird helped give the campaign a shared story world.

The campaign was designed to make McDonald’s especially memorable to children. Its characters appeared in television commercials, packaging, restaurant promotions, and merchandise. The setting used familiar McDonald’s products and visual symbols as elements of an imaginary landscape.

McDonaldland is sometimes confused with McDonald’s broader children’s marketing or with McDonald’s PlayPlace facilities. PlayPlace is a restaurant entertainment feature, whereas McDonaldland was an advertising universe. The campaign’s character designs and legal history changed over the years, but the name McDonaldland remains the canonical name for the original fictional setting.