McDonaldland was the fictional world McDonald's created in 1971 for characters such as Ronald McDonald and the Hamburglar.
The campaign turned McDonald's branding into a shared fantasy setting populated by recurring figures. Ronald McDonald was presented as the central character, while the Hamburglar, Mayor McCheese, Grimace, and others supplied recognizable personalities and visual storylines. The setting appeared in television commercials, promotions, restaurant materials, and merchandise.
McDonaldland is sometimes treated as if it were simply another name for the McDonald's restaurant chain. It was instead a fictional advertising universe designed primarily to appeal to children and families. Its characters gave the company more ways to tell stories than a product-focused advertisement would provide.
Several characters changed appearance over time, and some eventually disappeared from regular advertising. Even so, McDonaldland remains a major milestone in McDonald's branding because it connected the restaurant's mascot strategy with an entire imaginary place.