The Hamburglar was the McDonald's mascot known for trying to steal hamburgers in McDonaldland advertising.
The character was introduced as a mischievous figure in McDonald's fictional advertising world. His name combined “hamburger” with “burglar,” making his role immediately understandable even without dialogue. Early versions had a more sinister appearance, but the character was later redesigned with a younger, friendlier look.
The Hamburglar appeared alongside Ronald McDonald and other McDonaldland residents in television commercials, print advertising, and merchandise. His repeated attempts to take hamburgers created a simple comic conflict that could be reused across many advertisements.
He is sometimes confused with Captain Crook, another McDonaldland character associated with stealing food. The Hamburglar's defining target was hamburgers, while Captain Crook was associated with Filet-O-Fish sandwiches.