McDonald's moon-headed late-night advertising character was named Mac Tonight.
Mac Tonight debuted in 1986 as part of a campaign encouraging customers to visit McDonald's in the evening. The character had a crescent-moon head, sunglasses, and a lounge-singer presentation, giving the campaign a noticeably different tone from McDonaldland advertising.
The commercials used a version of “Mack the Knife,” connecting the character with a recognizable musical style and a nighttime mood. Mac Tonight therefore functioned as both a mascot and a specific advertising concept aimed at expanding dinner and late-night traffic.
Mac Tonight is sometimes confused with Ronald McDonald because both were central McDonald's advertising figures. Their roles were different: Ronald represented the broader family-oriented brand, while Mac Tonight was created for a particular evening campaign.