Which McDonald’s mascot was introduced in 1971 as the mayor of McDonaldland?

Mayor McCheese was introduced in 1971 as the mayor of McDonaldland.

The character had a large cheeseburger for a head and wore formal mayoral clothing, including a sash. He was one of the central figures in McDonald’s fictional advertising setting, where food-themed characters interacted with Ronald McDonald and other mascots.

Mayor McCheese helped McDonald’s turn its menu into a cast of memorable visual characters. Instead of presenting burgers and other products only as food items, the advertising gave them personalities and roles in recurring stories aimed primarily at children.

Mayor McCheese is sometimes confused with Officer Big Mac, another McDonaldland character whose head was shaped like a Big Mac. The names reflect different menu items and roles: Mayor McCheese was the elected civic figure, while Officer Big Mac served as a police character.