Mac Tonight was McDonald's moon-faced singing mascot from its 1980s coffee campaign.
McDonald's introduced Mac Tonight in 1986 to promote the restaurant's coffee and evening dining business. The character had a large crescent-moon head, wore sunglasses and formal clothing, and sang a parody of Bobby Darin's song “Mack the Knife.” The altered advertising song emphasized the word “Mac” and the idea of visiting McDonald's at night.
The campaign was especially prominent in the United States and became a distinctive example of McDonald's character-based advertising. Mac Tonight's visual design was separate from the McDonaldland characters, even though both belonged to McDonald's broader branding history.
The campaign later ended after a legal dispute involving the rights holder for “Mack the Knife.” Mac Tonight is sometimes confused with a generic moon mascot, but the name specifically identifies McDonald's 1980s character and campaign. Its purpose was to associate McDonald's with coffee, evening hours, and adult customers as well as families.