What name did McDonald's use for its cartoon world of advertising characters?

McDonald's called its cartoon world of advertising characters McDonaldland.

McDonaldland was a fictional setting created for McDonald’s advertising and promotional material. It brought together Ronald McDonald, Grimace, the Hamburglar, Birdie, and other characters in a colorful landscape designed primarily to appeal to children. The setting gave the brand a shared story world rather than treating every mascot as a separate advertisement.

The name is a straightforward blend of “McDonald’s” and “land,” but it became a formal part of the company’s character branding. McDonaldland promotions appeared in television commercials, restaurant displays, packaging, and collectible merchandise, especially during the 1970s and 1980s.

McDonaldland is sometimes confused with the name of a single character or with a restaurant playground. It was the fictional universe itself. Individual figures, such as Grimace and the Hamburglar, were inhabitants or participants within that larger advertising setting.