McDonaldland was the fictional McDonald's advertising world featuring characters such as Grimace and Mayor McCheese.
McDonald's developed the setting during the early 1970s as a colorful environment for television commercials, promotions, and children's marketing. Ronald McDonald served as the central character, while the wider cast included the Hamburglar, Birdie, and Officer Big Mac.
The characters gave individual products and brand ideas memorable personalities. Mayor McCheese, for example, was a character with a cheeseburger-shaped head, while Grimace became one of the most recognizable figures associated with the chain.
McDonaldland is sometimes mistaken for a restaurant chain or a physical theme park. It was primarily an advertising universe, although McDonald's used related playgrounds, toys, packaging, and promotional experiences in the real world.