McDonald’s called its 1970s family-oriented mascot advertising world McDonaldland.
McDonaldland was introduced in 1969 and remained a major part of McDonald’s children’s branding during the 1970s. It provided a setting where Ronald McDonald and characters such as Grimace, the Hamburglar, and Mayor McCheese could appear together.
The campaign extended beyond television. Restaurants used character displays and promotional materials, while toys and other merchandise helped children recognize the fictional world. This made McDonald’s branding feel like an ongoing story rather than a series of unrelated commercials.
The term is sometimes used loosely for any McDonald’s mascot. More precisely, McDonaldland was the setting and campaign framework, while the named characters were residents or participants within it.