McDonald’s called its 1970s fantasy advertising world McDonaldland.
McDonaldland provided a shared setting for characters such as Ronald McDonald, Grimace, the Hamburglar, Mayor McCheese, and Officer Big Mac. Rather than promoting only an individual product, the campaign presented McDonald’s as a fictional destination filled with recognizable personalities and visual rules.
The name is sometimes confused with “McWorld,” a later McDonald’s promotional concept and advertising term. McDonaldland was the character-centered fantasy world associated with the classic mascots. Its imagery became a major part of McDonald’s children’s marketing and helped distinguish the brand from ordinary hamburger advertising.