The Hamburglar was redesigned in 1985 as a more child-friendly version of the McDonald's character.
The original Hamburglar had appeared as a small, somewhat sinister figure associated with stealing hamburgers. In the mid-1980s, McDonald's changed his appearance and presentation, making him younger-looking, more colorful, and less threatening for family advertising.
This redesign reflected a wider shift in McDonaldland branding. The company increasingly emphasized friendly fantasy characters and playful storytelling instead of presenting its mascots as genuinely menacing villains.
The character remained associated with hamburgers and a striped outfit, but the 1985 version was substantially different from the earlier design. The redesign date is sometimes confused with the character's original introduction, which occurred earlier.