McDonald's introduced the fictional community McDonaldland in its 1971 advertising campaign.
McDonaldland gave McDonald's a shared fantasy setting for commercials, promotions, and restaurant experiences. It was populated by characters associated with menu items and brand ideas, including Grimace, the Hamburglar, Birdie, and Mayor McCheese.
The campaign was aimed primarily at children and families. Rather than advertising only a meal or restaurant, McDonaldland created a continuing story world that encouraged children to recognize recurring characters and collect related toys and promotional items.
McDonaldland is sometimes confused with the names of individual characters, especially the Hamburglar or Mayor McCheese. Those figures were residents of the fictional setting; McDonaldland was the name of the wider community and advertising universe introduced in 1971.