McDonald’s used the name McDonaldland for its 1970s campaign featuring Ronald McDonald and other fictional characters.
The campaign presented McDonaldland as an imaginary place populated by branded figures, including the Hamburglar, Grimace, Mayor McCheese, and Birdie. Ronald McDonald served as the principal guide into this world, making the advertisements resemble short children’s stories rather than conventional restaurant commercials.
The campaign’s branding strategy was based on repetition. Distinctive characters, names, costumes, and locations could appear across television commercials, packaging, restaurant promotions, and licensed merchandise.
McDonaldland is sometimes confused with PlayPlace, which is the name associated with McDonald’s indoor playgrounds. PlayPlace was a physical restaurant feature, while McDonaldland was a fictional advertising universe. The two ideas both supported family branding but served different purposes.