The Hamburglar was redesigned in 1985 as a slimmer, more fashionable version of the character.
The original Hamburglar was portrayed as a small, mischievous character with a more elaborate costume and speech style. In 1985, McDonald's updated him with a taller, slimmer appearance, a black-and-white outfit, and a more modern presentation. The change helped align the character with the cleaner, simplified visual style of mid-1980s advertising.
The Hamburglar's recurring story involved trying to take hamburgers, especially Big Macs, while other McDonaldland characters attempted to stop him. Despite the stealing theme, the character was presented in a playful, cartoon-like way for family advertising.
This redesign is sometimes confused with later costume changes or with the 2015 adult-oriented redesign. The 1985 update specifically refers to the slimmer classic character, not the much later promotional interpretation.