McDonaldland was the fictional world created for McDonald’s advertising in the 1960s.
The setting featured Ronald McDonald alongside characters including Mayor McCheese, the Hamburglar, and Captain Crook. These figures gave McDonald’s a shared fantasy environment that could connect television commercials, restaurant displays, packaging, and promotional products.
McDonaldland was part of a broader shift toward character-based branding aimed especially at children and families. Ronald McDonald had already appeared in advertising, but the fictional setting gave the growing cast a consistent narrative home.
McDonaldland is sometimes confused with a restaurant attraction or a menu category. It was primarily an advertising universe, although its characters appeared in physical restaurant promotions and themed materials over many years.