Which advertising character did McDonald's introduce in 1971 as a masked thief?

McDonald's introduced the Hamburglar in 1971 as a masked thief in its McDonaldland advertising.

The character was created for a fictional world populated by McDonald's mascots, including Ronald McDonald, Grimace, and Mayor McCheese. The Hamburglar's recurring story involved trying to steal hamburgers, giving commercials a simple comic conflict that children could recognize immediately.

His appearance changed substantially over time. The early version was older-looking and more villainous, while the later version became a shorter, childlike character wearing a striped outfit and cape. The famous “Robble, robble” catchphrase was associated with the later portrayal.

The Hamburglar is sometimes confused with Captain Crook, another McDonaldland character linked to Filet-O-Fish advertising. Captain Crook was a separate mascot with a pirate theme. Both belonged to McDonald's character-based branding, but only the Hamburglar was defined by the hamburger-stealing role.