Which McDonald's character was designed as a hamburger thief?

The Hamburglar was designed as a hamburger thief for McDonald's advertising. His defining story role was trying to steal hamburgers, especially from Ronald McDonald and the other McDonaldland characters.

The character first appeared in the early 1970s and originally looked quite different from the later version. Early advertising portrayed him as a small, older-looking villain; McDonald's later redesigned him as a younger character wearing a mask and striped clothing.

The Hamburglar's name uses a playful alteration of “burglar” to connect the character directly with hamburgers. This wordplay made the character's role immediately understandable to children in television commercials.

He was one part of the McDonaldland ensemble, which also included Grimace, Mayor McCheese, and Birdie the Early Bird. The character's prominence declined as McDonald's advertising moved away from the fantasy setting.