Mayor McCheese was the McDonald’s brand character based on a hamburger who served as mayor in McDonaldland.
McDonald’s introduced McDonaldland advertising in 1971 as a colorful fictional setting populated by restaurant-related characters. Mayor McCheese had a large cheeseburger-shaped head, formal mayoral clothing, and a role that connected him to the imagined community’s civic life.
The character was part of a broader cast that included Ronald McDonald, the Hamburglar, Grimace, and other figures. Their designs helped McDonald’s present its restaurants as an imaginative family environment, particularly in advertising directed toward children.
Mayor McCheese is sometimes confused with Officer Big Mac because both were burger-themed characters. Their roles were different: Mayor McCheese was the town’s mayor, while Officer Big Mac was associated with law enforcement in McDonaldland.