Mac Tonight was the McDonald's mascot who starred in the 1980s advertising campaign for the fictional rock singer.
McDonald's introduced Mac Tonight in 1986 to promote evening dining. The character wore sunglasses, had a crescent-moon-shaped head, and sang a rewritten version of “Mack the Knife,” changing the lyric to promote McDonald's at night. The campaign gave the chain a distinctive musical and visual identity for a daypart rather than for children.
Mac Tonight was different from Ronald McDonald and the other McDonaldland characters. Ronald represented the broader family brand, while Mac Tonight was designed to make dinner and late-day visits seem entertaining and stylish.
The character became strongly associated with the song and moon imagery. He was later retired from national advertising, but the campaign remains a notable example of McDonald's using a character to position a specific time of day.