The McDonald’s character known as a hamburger thief in classic advertising is the Hamburglar. He was one of the best-known figures in the fictional McDonaldland cast.
The Hamburglar’s role was simple and highly visual: he tried to steal hamburgers, especially McDonald’s signature Big Mac. Earlier versions of the character had a more complicated appearance, including a small stature and a black-and-white costume. Later redesigns made him look younger and more cartoon-like.
The character is sometimes confused with other McDonald’s figures because the company used many costumed mascots in the same advertisements. Grimace was associated with a large purple body, Birdie represented breakfast, and Mayor McCheese had a cheeseburger head. The Hamburglar’s defining trait was his attempted hamburger theft, which supplied a recurring comic plot for McDonaldland commercials and promotions.