Mayor McCheese was presented as the mayor of McDonaldland.
The character had a cheeseburger for a head and appeared as the elected official of McDonald's fictional advertising setting. His design turned a familiar menu item into a human-like mascot, allowing commercials to build stories around the products without showing only ordinary restaurant scenes.
Mayor McCheese is sometimes confused with Officer Big Mac because both were civic or authority figures in McDonaldland. Their roles were different: Mayor McCheese represented the town's leadership, while Officer Big Mac was associated with law enforcement.
McDonaldland advertising assembled a cast of characters with distinct personalities and jobs. That approach helped McDonald's create a recognizable branded world, especially for children, while repeatedly featuring menu-related visual ideas.