Mayor McCheese was the McDonaldland mascot with a hamburger-shaped head who served as the fictional town’s mayor.
The character appeared in McDonald’s advertising during the 1970s, wearing a formal mayoral outfit and a sash. His design combined civic imagery with the restaurant’s best-known food, making the character immediately connected to the brand.
Mayor McCheese was one member of a larger cast that included Ronald McDonald, Grimace, the Hamburglar, Captain Crook, and Officer Big Mac. Those names and costumes can make the characters difficult to distinguish, but the hamburger head and mayoral role identify Mayor McCheese.
The character was part of McDonald’s child-focused branding rather than a claim about the company’s real management. McDonaldland advertising eventually became less prominent, but the character remains one of the clearest examples of how McDonald’s turned menu items into personalities.