McDonaldland was the fictional community McDonald’s created for its characters and advertising in 1971.
The setting provided a shared world for characters including Ronald McDonald, Mayor McCheese, and other figures used in children’s marketing. By placing the characters in a named fantasy community, McDonald’s could build recurring stories and visual settings instead of relying on isolated advertisements.
McDonaldland became especially prominent in television commercials and promotional materials during the 1970s and 1980s. Its characters represented different parts of the restaurant’s playful brand universe, while McDonald’s products and locations were incorporated into the fictional setting.
The name is sometimes confused with McDonald’s restaurant locations or with a single mascot. McDonaldland was the broader fictional world; Ronald McDonald was one character within it. The setting is an important example of McDonald’s using world-building as part of its branding strategy.