McDonald's called its major global children’s advertising world McDonaldland, created in 1971.
McDonaldland was a fictional setting populated by characters such as Ronald McDonald, the Hamburglar, Grimace, and Mayor McCheese. The setting gave McDonald's advertising a shared story world in which its mascots could interact, turning separate characters into a recognizable branded universe.
The concept was designed to appeal strongly to children and families. Its characters appeared in television commercials, restaurant displays, promotional material, and merchandise. Although individual characters changed over time, McDonaldland remained a significant part of McDonald's branding history.
McDonaldland is sometimes confused with the Happy Meal, but they served different branding purposes. The Happy Meal was a product promotion introduced in the United States in 1979; McDonaldland was the fictional advertising world introduced earlier, in 1971.