Which McDonald's character was known as a hamburger thief in early advertising?

The Hamburglar was McDonald's advertising character known for trying to steal hamburgers.

He became part of the McDonaldland cast, a fictional world created for McDonald's commercials and promotions. In his early appearances, the Hamburglar was presented as a small, mischievous character whose main objective was to obtain McDonald's hamburgers.

The character's appearance changed over time. Early versions were more complicated and sometimes looked like an older, scruffier burglar. McDonald's later redesigned him as a smaller, younger-looking figure in a black-and-white striped outfit, red cape, and wide-brimmed hat.

The Hamburglar is sometimes confused with Captain Crook, another McDonaldland villain associated with Filet-O-Fish advertising. Their roles were different: the Hamburglar focused on hamburgers, while Captain Crook was linked to fish sandwiches.