McDonaldland was McDonald's fictional advertising world launched in the early 1970s.
The setting gave McDonald's mascots a shared environment and helped turn individual characters into a connected brand universe. Ronald McDonald served as the central figure, while characters such as the Hamburglar, Grimace, Mayor McCheese, and Birdie appeared in stories and commercials.
McDonaldland was used to promote restaurants and menu items through television advertising, playground themes, packaging, and live appearances. Its colorful fantasy setting was particularly aimed at children and families, making the restaurant brand feel like an entertainment world as well as a place to eat.
The concept also became the subject of a 1973 legal dispute involving the creators of the children's program H.R. Pufnstuf. McDonald's later scaled back the shared fictional universe, although several characters remained recognizable parts of its historical branding.