McDonaldland

McDonaldland is a fictional place used in marketing for McDonald's to young audiences. It is a fictional city (as it had a mayor), where Ronald McDonald and all of his friends live. As well as being used in advertising, the characters were used as the basis for equipment in the playgrounds attached to some McDonald's.

Related Topics:
McDonald's - Fictional city - Ronald McDonald - Advertising - Playground

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Cycle one of McDonaldland began in 1972, about the same time McDonald's was replacing its drive-ins with mansard-roofed restaurants. These early commercials were built on an upbeat, bubble-gum style tune, and featured a narrator, and plots that involved various villians trying to steal a corresponding food item, foiled by Ronald.

Related Topics:
1972 - Mansard

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McDonald's had originally hoped Sid and Marty Krofft, the creators of the popular H. R. Pufnstuf program, would agree to license their characters for commercial promotions. When the Kroffts declined, McDonaldland was created, purposely based on the H. R. Pufnstuf show in an attempt to duplicate the appeal.

Related Topics:
Sid and Marty Krofft - H. R. Pufnstuf

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In 1973, the Kroffts successfully sued McDonald's, arguing that the entire McDonaldland premise was essentially a rip-off of their television show. McDonald's was forced to pay a $50,000 settlement.

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