Which McDonald's mascot was a hamburger-headed mayor in the McDonaldland campaign?

Mayor McCheese was the hamburger-headed mayor in McDonald's McDonaldland campaign.

Mayor McCheese appeared as one of the major characters in McDonaldland, the fantasy setting used in McDonald's advertising beginning in 1971. His head resembled a cheeseburger, complete with a bun, cheese, lettuce, and other visual details. He wore a formal mayoral sash and often appeared in stories alongside Ronald McDonald and the other McDonaldland residents.

The character gave McDonald's a distinctive way to connect food imagery with a fictional community. Instead of presenting a hamburger only as a menu item, the campaign turned it into part of a recognizable cast. That approach helped make television commercials, playgrounds, and promotional materials visually consistent.

Mayor McCheese is sometimes mistaken for Officer Big Mac, whose head was shaped like a Big Mac and who had a law-enforcement role. McDonald's reduced its use of many McDonaldland characters after legal disputes involving a similar character from the television program “H.R. Pufnstuf.”