Hamburglar debuted in 1971 as a McDonald's advertising character who stole hamburgers.
He was one of the characters created for McDonaldland, a fictional setting introduced in McDonald's children's marketing during the early 1970s. His design and behavior centered on a playful desire to grab hamburgers, making him easy to recognize in commercials and promotional material.
Hamburglar appeared alongside Ronald McDonald, Grimace, Mayor McCheese, and other McDonaldland figures. The characters gave McDonald's a connected fantasy world rather than relying only on product-focused advertising.
The character's appearance changed over time. The original Hamburglar was later redesigned into a shorter, more childlike figure, which can make historical images seem like different mascots. Despite those changes, his defining branding role remained the same: a mischievous hamburger thief.