McDonald’s Hamburglar is one of the most recognizable fast-food mascots. As the foil to the lovable Ronald McDonald, the mischief maker will stop at nothing to steal and hoard every last burger for himself. But for the past several years, the Hamburglar’s whereabouts have been unknown.
Now the cunning food criminal is back—and up to his usual antics. McDonald’s and agency Wieden+Kennedy has resurrected the thieving character to promote updates to its classic burger menu.
In the brand’s latest campaign, the red-handed fugitive is first shown staking out a local McDonald’s. He likes what he sees through his binoculars: refreshed versions of the Big Mac, McDouble, cheeseburger, double cheeseburger and hamburger.
The second spot depicts the Hamburglar’s heist, in which he drops down into the restaurant to steal a tray of sandwiches. Viewers will recognize the thief from his typical striped outfit, burger tie, black mask, fedora and cape.
McDonald’s is using the classic mascot to spread the news about its burger changes, which have rolled out in several West Coast cities, including Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland and San Francisco, and will be available in all restaurants nationwide by early 2024. The updates, including softer buns and more Big Mac sauce, were first introduced in international markets such as Australia, Canada and Belgium.
“Our classic burgers are what made McDonald’s famous. They’ve become a cultural icon over the years. We saw the opportunity to make a few changes in our kitchens to make them even more delicious and get back to what people loved most about them in the first place,” Tariq Hassan, McDonald’s USA chief marketing and customer experience officer, said in a statement. “To get the word out, we’re bringing back a McDonald’s favorite – the Hamburglar – because what better way to show just how good they are than to turn the most notorious burger thief loose in our marketing campaign, as he tries to get his hands on our best burgers ever.”
