McDonald’s introduced the Hamburglar in 1971 as a hamburger-stealing trickster.
The Hamburglar became one of the best-known characters in the McDonaldland advertising world. Early versions were portrayed as a small, mischievous character whose main interest was taking hamburgers. His striped clothing, mask, and exaggerated behavior made him easy for children to recognize in television commercials.
The character’s appearance changed substantially over time. The original Hamburglar was more goblin-like and less human-looking, while later campaigns used a child-sized figure with a more polished costume and clearer personality. These redesigns reflected broader changes in children’s advertising and McDonald’s visual style.
The Hamburglar is sometimes confused with Grimace, whose role was not hamburger theft, or with Mayor McCheese, a fictional civic leader. All three belonged to McDonaldland, but the Hamburglar’s defining brand trait was his attempted burger stealing.