McDonald’s called its fictional advertising world of Ronald and the other mascots McDonaldland.
McDonaldland was a fantasy setting created for McDonald’s advertising in the early 1970s. It provided a shared environment for characters including Ronald McDonald, the Hamburglar, Grimace, Mayor McCheese, Captain Crook, and Officer Big Mac.
The setting allowed McDonald’s to connect products with recurring stories and recognizable personalities. Restaurants, commercials, packaging, and promotional campaigns could all draw from the same fictional universe. This approach was especially important in advertising aimed at children.
McDonaldland is sometimes mistaken for the name of a restaurant concept or a children’s play area. It was primarily a branded fictional world used in marketing. The characters and setting became less prominent in later decades as McDonald’s advertising moved toward different styles and campaigns.