The McDonald's advertising character who appeared in the 1980s wearing sunglasses and singing about nighttime dining was Mac Tonight.
Mac Tonight was created for a regional Southern California campaign intended to promote McDonald's evening business. The character was a moon-headed singer who wore dark sunglasses and performed a version of the song “Mack the Knife,” rewritten around the phrase “Mac Tonight.” His appearance and music gave the campaign a distinctive lounge-singer style.
The campaign became nationally recognizable and helped McDonald's associate its restaurants with dinner and late-evening visits. Mac Tonight was separate from the McDonaldland cast, which was aimed more directly at children and family fantasy.
Mac Tonight is sometimes confused with a company mascot or a permanent McDonald's character. He was an advertising character used primarily during a specific period, and the campaign eventually ended. His moon-shaped head and sunglasses remain distinctive examples of McDonald's experimental branding.