Mac Tonight was McDonald's national advertising campaign built around a singing moon-faced character.
The campaign began in 1986 and used a character with a crescent-moon head, dark sunglasses, and a white dinner jacket. Mac Tonight sang a rewritten version of “Mack the Knife,” changing the song's wording to promote evening visits to McDonald's. The advertisements were aimed at making the restaurant feel like an appealing nighttime destination.
Mac Tonight was particularly associated with extending McDonald's appeal beyond traditional daytime meals. The character appeared in television commercials, restaurant promotions, and merchandise during the campaign's main period.
The campaign is sometimes confused with a permanent mascot in the same category as Ronald McDonald. Mac Tonight was primarily a promotional advertising character and did not replace the McDonaldland cast. Its distinctive visual design and musical presentation nevertheless made it one of McDonald's most recognizable short-lived branding campaigns.