Which fictional McDonaldland character was introduced in 1971 as a greedy burger thief?

The Hamburglar was introduced in 1971 as McDonaldland's greedy burger thief.

The character was created for McDonald's fantasy advertising world, where he tried to steal hamburgers while other characters helped represent the restaurant's playful brand identity. His early design was more sinister and childlike, with striped clothing and a mask; later versions made him shorter, friendlier, and more cartoon-like.

The Hamburglar is sometimes confused with Grimace, who was originally associated with milkshake theft, or with Mayor McCheese, the character who represented civic leadership in McDonaldland. McDonald's gradually reduced the use of the full McDonaldland cast in mainstream advertising, but the Hamburglar remains one of the best-known figures from the company's character-based branding era.