McDonald’s used the fictional world of McDonaldland for its character-based advertising beginning in the early 1970s.
McDonaldland provided a shared setting for a large cast of branded characters. Ronald McDonald, Mayor McCheese, the Hamburglar, Grimace, Captain Crook, and others appeared as residents or visitors within this imaginary landscape.
The approach turned McDonald’s restaurants and menu items into elements of a continuing fantasy story. Instead of relying only on product demonstrations, commercials could use recurring personalities, locations, and conflicts to make the brand easier for children to remember.
McDonaldland is sometimes confused with a restaurant format or a physical theme park. It was primarily an advertising concept, although McDonald’s also used related character imagery in merchandise, packaging, playgrounds, and promotional displays.