Which McDonald's mascot was a cheese-shaped mayor in the classic McDonaldland campaign?

Mayor McCheese was the cheese-shaped mayor in McDonald's classic McDonaldland campaign.

The character was designed as a whimsical civic leader whose head resembled a cheeseburger. That visual pun connected the fictional government of McDonaldland directly to McDonald's core menu and gave the advertising world a recognizable authority figure.

Mayor McCheese appeared with Ronald McDonald and other characters in commercials and promotional material during the campaign's most prominent period. The character's title helped McDonaldland feel like a complete imaginary community rather than merely a collection of unrelated mascots.

Mayor McCheese is often confused with Officer Big Mac, another character whose name referenced a McDonald's product. Their roles were different: Mayor McCheese was the town's mayor, while Officer Big Mac was presented as a law-enforcement figure. Both belonged to the same branded universe.