Which McDonald’s mascot was known for stealing hamburgers in 1971 advertising?

The Hamburglar was the McDonald’s mascot known for stealing hamburgers in 1971 advertising. He was introduced as a mischievous character in the expanding McDonaldland cast.

The earliest Hamburglar design looked more like a small, elderly burglar than the child-sized character familiar from later commercials. His costume used black-and-white stripes, a cape, and other visual cues associated with a comic thief. The character’s repeated attempts to take hamburgers made him a recognizable source of playful conflict.

McDonald’s later redesigned the Hamburglar as a younger, more stylized figure. That change made him fit more naturally with the child-focused tone of McDonaldland advertising. The character’s core identity remained the same even as his appearance and voice changed.

The Hamburglar is sometimes confused with Captain Crook, another McDonaldland character connected with food theft. Captain Crook was associated primarily with Filet-O-Fish sandwiches, whereas the Hamburglar’s signature target was hamburgers.