Which McDonald's character was the chain's early hamburger-themed mayor in McDonaldland?

Mayor McCheese was McDonaldland's early hamburger-themed mayor.

Mayor McCheese was designed as a cheerful civic leader with a large hamburger for a head. He appeared in McDonald's advertising alongside Ronald McDonald and other characters from the company's fictional world. The character gave the brand a playful governmental figure who could host or organize stories within McDonaldland.

Mayor McCheese is sometimes confused with the Big Mac because both are associated with hamburger branding. The Big Mac is a menu sandwich, whereas Mayor McCheese was a fictional advertising character. He is also distinct from the Hamburglar, whose role centered on stealing hamburgers.

The character became especially visible during the height of McDonaldland advertising in the 1970s and 1980s. Although McDonald's later used the full cast less heavily, Mayor McCheese remains one of the clearest examples of the chain turning product imagery into a recognizable mascot.