The purple McDonaldland character introduced by McDonald’s in 1971 was Grimace.
Grimace appeared alongside other fictional McDonaldland characters created for McDonald’s advertising. Early versions were presented as a large, clumsy character associated with milkshakes, while later advertising simplified Grimace into the friendly purple figure widely recognized today.
McDonaldland gave McDonald’s a shared fantasy setting for television commercials, in-store materials, and children’s promotions. The characters helped connect the restaurant brand with play, imagination, and collectible merchandise rather than presenting it only as a place to buy food.
Grimace is often confused with the Hamburglar because both characters were prominent in the same advertising world. The Hamburglar was a black-and-white striped character associated with hamburgers, while Grimace was purple and became especially linked with milkshakes. Mayor McCheese was another separate McDonaldland figure.