Hamburglar was introduced in 1971 as a playful thief who wanted hamburgers.
The character joined the McDonaldland cast during the early 1970s, when McDonald's advertising used a shared fantasy world to appeal to children. Hamburglar's name directly combined the word hamburger with the idea of a burglar. His recurring role was to try to steal hamburgers, creating simple comic conflicts for commercials and promotions.
The earliest version of Hamburglar looked considerably different from the later character. He was presented as a small, somewhat sinister figure with a black-and-white striped outfit. McDonald's later redesigned him into a younger, friendlier character, making the mascot more suitable for family-oriented advertising.
Hamburglar is sometimes confused with the brand's other McDonaldland figures. Grimace was associated with shakes in his original characterization, while Birdie represented breakfast. Hamburglar's defining branding role was his hamburger-stealing persona.