McDonald's 1970s fictional town populated by characters such as Grimace and the Hamburglar was called McDonaldland.
McDonaldland was created as a fantasy setting for McDonald's advertising and promotions. It included a collection of brightly colored characters, locations, and food-themed imagery intended to make the restaurant brand especially appealing to children. Ronald McDonald served as the central figure in this fictional world.
Among the characters associated with McDonaldland were Grimace, the Hamburglar, Mayor McCheese, Birdie the Early Bird, and Officer Big Mac. Their designs and roles changed over time, and some characters eventually disappeared from regular marketing.
McDonaldland is sometimes confused with the name of an individual character or with the McDonald's PlayPlace. It was the broader fictional setting, not a menu item or a physical restaurant chain. The campaign became one of the most extensive examples of character-based fast-food branding in the United States.