McDonaldland became the fictional setting for McDonald's character advertising beginning in 1971.
The campaign presented a colorful imaginary world populated by characters such as Ronald McDonald, Mayor McCheese, Grimace, Birdie the Early Bird, and the Hamburglar. It gave McDonald's a connected story world instead of relying only on individual commercials or product claims.
McDonaldland linked the restaurant's food, playgrounds, packaging, and television advertising to a child-focused visual universe. The campaign was especially influential during the 1970s and 1980s, when fast-food brands competed heavily for families.
McDonaldland is often confused with a single mascot or with the name of a specific restaurant. It was the broader fictional setting; Ronald McDonald and the other figures were characters within it.