Mayor McCheese was the McDonald's character who appeared as a walking cheeseburger and served as the mayor of McDonaldland.
The character wore a mayoral sash and formal clothing, while his oversized cheeseburger head made the connection to McDonald's food unmistakable. He appeared in the colorful McDonaldland campaign alongside Ronald McDonald and other restaurant mascots.
Mayor McCheese illustrates how McDonald's branding turned menu items into personalities. Instead of presenting only a product or logo, the campaign gave children a fictional civic world with leaders, villains, and recurring locations.
The character was later reduced in prominence as McDonald's changed its advertising approach. He is still remembered as one of the defining figures of the company's classic 1970s character era, and his title distinguishes him from other food-themed McDonaldland figures.