Officer Big Mac
The McDonaldland Era (1971–2003)
Officer Big Mac was McDonald's hamburger-headed police officer—literally a Big Mac with a face, wearing a constable-style hat with a star badge. He served as the law enforcement figure in McDonaldland, the fictional universe McDonald's created to market to children.
McDonaldland launched in 1971, developed by Needham, Harper & Steers advertising agency. The concept borrowed heavily from H.R. Pufnstuf—so heavily that Sid and Marty Krofft successfully sued McDonald's in 1977.
Pure 1970s–80s Americana: corporate mascot culture, roadside architecture, and a less risk-averse approach to childhood play.
These structures represent a specific moment in American childhood before safety regulations transformed playgrounds into today's plastic-and-rubber designs.
McDonald's commissioned elaborate themed equipment that turned parking lots into miniature amusement parks. Kids climbed into Officer Big Mac's belly through those jail bars.
