McDonaldland was a fantasy world used in the marketing for McDonalds restaurants. According to a lawsuit, it was based on the total concept and feel of Sid and Marty Kroffts H.R. Pufnstuf television program. McDonaldland was inhabited by Ronald McDonald and other charers. In addition to being used in advertising, the charers were used as the basis for equipment in the playgrounds attached to some McDonalds. \r
The first phase of the McDonaldland concept began in January 1971, when McDonalds was replacing its drive-ins with mansard roofed restaurants. The early commercials were built on an upbeat, bubble-gum style tune, and featured a narrator; many had plots that involved various villains trying to steal a corresponding food item, foiled by Ronald.\r
McDonaldland itself, as it was depicted in the commercials, was a magical place where plants, foods, and inanimate objects were living, speaking charers. In addition to being the home to Ronald and the other core charers, McDonaldland boasted a theme park of Thick Shake Volcanoes, anthropomorphized Apple Pie Trees, French Fry Bushes (where McDonalds French Fries grew from bushes), The Hamburger Patch (where McDonalds hamburgers grew out of the ground like plants), Filet-O-Fish Lake, and many other fanciful features based around various McDonalds menu items. In the commercials, the various beings are played by puppets or costumed performers, very similar to those used in the popular H.R. Pufnstuf TV show.\r
Some of the commercials were directed by Howard Morris who voiced some of the charers in the commercials as well.\r
The McDonaldland line saw significant changes during this period. Notably, Grimace (who was introduced as an evil villain) was revamped in 1974 as a protagonist. Then in 1977, the Uncle OGrimacey charer was introduced for a brief promotion for Shamrock Shakes around St. Patricks Day. Also during this period, the McDonaldland Charers would begin promoting Happy Meal Toys in 1979, based on popular franchises of Disney, Warner Bros, DC Comics, etc.\r
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Lawsuit\r
Needham Harper & Steers, an ad agency (now known as the Omnicom Group) vying for McDonalds advertising accounts, had originally hoped Sid and Marty Krofft, the creators of H.R. Pufnstuf, would agree to license their charers for commercial promotions. After the McDonaldland promotion went forward, the Kroffts were dismissed without being credited or paid.\r
In 1973 the Kroffts successfully sued McDonalds, arguing that the entire McDonaldland premise was essentially a ripoff of their television show. Specifically, the Kroffts claimed that the charer Mayor McCheese was a direct rip-off of their charer, H.R. Pufnstuf (a mayor himself). McDonalds initially was ordered to pay $50,000. The case was later remanded as to damages, and McDonalds was ordered to pay the Kroffts more than $1,000,000 when the case was finally settled in 1977. As a result of the lawsuit, the concept of the magical place was all but phased out of the commercials, as were many of the original charers.\r
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The following charers once lived in McDonaldland:\r
Ronald McDonald, Hamburglar, Grimace, Mayor McCheese, Captain Crook, The Professor, Officer Big Mac, Uncle OGrimacey and the Gobblins.
