McDonald’s named its fictional advertising setting McDonaldland in 1971.
The setting provided a shared world for characters such as Ronald McDonald, the Hamburglar, Grimace, and Mayor McCheese. Instead of presenting each mascot in isolation, McDonaldland linked them through recurring locations, stories, and visual themes.
This approach helped McDonald’s make its advertising especially recognizable to children. The fictional world appeared in television commercials, restaurant materials, and promotional products during its most active period.
McDonaldland is sometimes confused with later McDonald’s advertising campaigns or with the company’s real restaurant locations. It was a fictional brand universe, not a separate restaurant chain or geographic place.