McDonald's fantasy setting for characters such as Grimace and the Hamburglar was called McDonaldland.
McDonaldland appeared in McDonald's advertising beginning in the early 1970s. It presented a colorful fictional world populated by branded characters, including Ronald McDonald, Grimace, the Hamburglar, Birdie the Early Bird, and Mayor McCheese.
The setting gave McDonald's a shared story world rather than relying on a single mascot or isolated product advertisement. Characters could appear together in commercials, promotions, restaurant displays, and merchandise, making the brand especially visible to children.
McDonaldland is sometimes confused with the name of a restaurant attraction or a single character. It was the fictional setting itself. The characters changed over the years, and some were retired, but the McDonaldland concept remains an important part of McDonald's advertising history.