Mac Tonight promoted McDonald's late-night burgers in the 1980s.
Mac Tonight was introduced in 1986 as a sunglass-wearing, crescent-headed character who sang a version of “Mack the Knife.” The campaign encouraged customers to visit McDonald's during evening hours and gave the restaurant chain a distinctly musical, adult-oriented advertising style.
The character's name was a pun on “McDonald's” and “tonight,” directly connecting the mascot with nighttime dining. Mac Tonight stood apart from the McDonaldland cast because the campaign emphasized a lounge-singer persona rather than a children's fantasy setting.
The campaign became one of McDonald's most recognizable 1980s branding efforts. It is sometimes confused with the company's regular restaurant mascot universe, but Mac Tonight was primarily associated with a specific advertising campaign for nighttime business. The character was later retired from mainstream McDonald's advertising.