McDonald’s fictional character world introduced in 1971 was called McDonaldland.
McDonaldland gave McDonald’s a story setting populated by colorful characters designed to attract children and make the restaurant experience more imaginative. Ronald McDonald served as the central figure, joined by characters such as the Hamburglar, Grimace, and Mayor McCheese.
The setting is sometimes confused with the individual names of its characters. McDonaldland was the broader fictional world, while the Hamburglar and Mayor McCheese were residents within it. The campaign appeared in television commercials, printed materials, restaurant displays, and later promotional merchandise.
McDonaldland represented a shift from advertising only food, price, or convenience toward building a complete brand universe. Although many of its characters became less prominent over time, the setting remains an important chapter in McDonald’s branding history because it linked the Golden Arches to recognizable personalities and recurring stories.