Which McDonald’s character was introduced in 1971 as the mayor of McDonaldland?

Mayor McCheese was introduced in 1971 as the mayor of McDonaldland.

The character had a large cheeseburger for a head and wore mayoral clothing, making the restaurant’s food part of the fantasy world’s visual identity. He appeared alongside Ronald McDonald and other McDonaldland characters in advertising.

Mayor McCheese is sometimes confused with Grimace or the Hamburglar because all three belonged to the same fictional campaign. Their roles were different: Mayor McCheese represented the imaginary community’s civic leader, while the others had separate personalities and story functions.

McDonaldland was especially prominent in children’s marketing during the 1970s and 1980s. The character’s later visibility declined as McDonald’s advertising moved toward more product-focused and contemporary campaigns.