McDonald's 1960s advertising world featuring Mayor McCheese and the Hamburglar was called McDonaldland.
McDonaldland presented McDonald's products and characters inside a colorful fictional setting. The campaign used television commercials, restaurant displays, packaging, toys, and other promotional material to create a consistent fantasy environment for children and families.
Its characters included Mayor McCheese, the Hamburglar, Grimace, and Birdie. Some characters changed appearance or role over time, and not every character appeared continuously. The setting itself remained the umbrella name for the fictional world used in McDonald's character advertising.
McDonaldland should not be confused with a real town or a restaurant chain division. It was a marketing creation. The phrase is also distinct from “McDonald's PlayPlace,” which refers to a physical play area found at some restaurants rather than the advertising universe.