Which McDonald’s character was the brand’s burger-headed mayor in the 1970s?

Mayor McCheese was McDonald’s burger-headed mayor character in the 1970s.

Mayor McCheese was one of the central figures in McDonaldland, the fictional advertising world introduced by McDonald’s in 1971. His head resembled a cheeseburger, while his formal clothing and mayoral role gave the character a playful civic identity. He appeared alongside Ronald McDonald and other recurring characters in commercials and promotional material.

The character helped McDonald’s turn its product imagery into a cast of recognizable personalities. The hamburger head made the connection to the restaurant’s menu immediate, while the mayor role gave McDonaldland a sense of community and an internal story structure.

Mayor McCheese is sometimes confused with Officer Big Mac, another character whose design also referenced a McDonald’s product. The two were separate figures. Mayor McCheese was the mayor, while Officer Big Mac served as a police officer within the fictional world.