McDonald's introduced Mac Tonight in 1986 to promote nighttime dining.
Mac Tonight was a character with a crescent-moon head, dark sunglasses, and a tuxedo. His advertising presented McDonald's as an evening destination and used a version of “Mack the Knife” as a musical hook. The character gave the company a highly distinctive visual identity for late-day promotions.
Mac Tonight belonged to a different branding strategy from Birdie the Early Bird, whose name and advertising focused on breakfast. The contrast shows how McDonald's used characters and music to divide the day into different restaurant occasions.
Mac Tonight became particularly associated with 1980s McDonald's advertising. The campaign should not be confused with the company's later “I'm Lovin' It” platform, which was introduced in 2003 and used a separate global branding approach.