Mayor McCheese was the McDonaldland character whose head was shaped like a cheeseburger.
The character appeared as the mayor of McDonaldland, turning a familiar McDonald's menu item into a civic figure within the advertising world. His oversized food-shaped head, formal mayoral clothing, and public-office role made him visually distinct from the other characters.
Mayor McCheese belonged to the larger campaign that connected McDonald's products and brand ideas with a fictional community. The character was especially prominent in advertising during the 1970s and 1980s, when McDonaldland was a major part of the company's family-oriented marketing.
He is sometimes confused with Officer Big Mac, another character whose identity was built around a McDonald's menu item. The difference is straightforward: Mayor McCheese was the cheeseburger-headed mayor, while Officer Big Mac was associated with law enforcement in the fictional setting.