The cheeseburger inspired the name and design of McDonald’s fictional character Mayor McCheese.
Mayor McCheese was introduced as part of McDonaldland, McDonald’s fantasy setting for television advertising and promotions. His head was depicted as a large cheeseburger, making the character an unusually direct visual connection between the fictional world and the restaurant menu.
The character wore a mayoral outfit and served as the civic leader of McDonaldland. His design made him recognizable to children while also reinforcing the product category that McDonald’s wanted customers to associate with its restaurants.
Mayor McCheese is sometimes confused with Ronald McDonald, who was the central human-like mascot. Mayor McCheese was a separate character with a cheeseburger head and a political role within the fictional setting.