McDonald’s created McDonaldland for its character-based advertising in 1971.
McDonaldland was a fantasy setting populated by branded characters, including Ronald McDonald, the Hamburglar, Grimace, Mayor McCheese, and Birdie the Early Bird. The setting gave McDonald’s advertising a shared world instead of presenting each character in isolation.
The campaign was especially prominent in television advertising aimed at children. Characters were connected to menu items and restaurant experiences, making the brand’s visual identity easier for young audiences to remember.
McDonaldland is sometimes confused with the name of a restaurant attraction or a single mascot. It was the fictional setting itself. The characters changed over time, and some were retired, but the community concept remained an important chapter in McDonald’s branding history.