Mac Tonight was the McDonald’s mascot who starred in the 1986 campaign built around the song “Mac Tonight.”
The character was a personification of the Big Mac with a crescent-shaped head, sunglasses, and a tuxedo. His advertisements promoted McDonald’s as an evening destination and used a rewritten version of Bobby Darin’s “Mack the Knife.” The character’s name was a pun linking the Big Mac with nighttime dining.
Mac Tonight was created for a specific campaign rather than becoming a permanent replacement for Ronald McDonald. His visual style and musical presentation made him distinct from the earlier McDonaldland cast. The campaign is also remembered because the song’s melody came from “Mack the Knife,” although the advertising lyrics centered on the Big Mac and evening visits.