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Mac Tonight was a mascot introduced by McDonald's restaurants in 1986. He was intended to advertise McDonald's late night hours to adults. He had a crescent moon for a head, wore a suit and sunglasses, and was depicted as being a jazzy lounge singer. The name was a play on words of the song "Mack the Knife", made popular in America by Bobby Darin. The song that played over the advertisements, called "It's Mac Tonight", was also a variant on that song, but with McDonald's-themed lyrics.

Mac Tonight is the only character in the McDonald's world to not appear in the McDonaldland advertisements.

Mac Tonight no longer appears in commercials in the United States, but pictures of him can still be seen in some McDonald's restaurants. Recently, Taiwan has begun to run Mac Tonight ads with Mac speaking Mandarin Chinese.

Talk show host Jay Leno often makes references to his likeness to Mac Tonight and promos for his show during the credits of NBC programming show his face as a moon.

The campaign included television commercials, with Doug Jones playing Mac Tonight. A number of 3" hard plastic Mac Tonight toys were available in Happy Meals. In 1997 and 1998, McDonald's sponsored Bill Elliott's #94 NASCAR, with Mac Tonight featured on the hood artwork. Recently, Mac Tonight has been given a CGI makeover and starring in a new commercial airing in Singapore.

• Mac Tonight appeared in The Simpsons episode "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bangalore" (2006). Bart mentions that the thermostat is "just painted on". In response, Homer dials a phone also painted on the wall, stating, "Oh my God, you're right. I better call the guy." He then reaches into the kitchen and, retrieving a cardboard cutout of Mac Tonight, says, "Oh, here he is." Lisa remarks, "Dad, that's Mac Tonight." Homer replies, "Yeah, well while I'm gone, you'll do what he says."

• Information on Mac Tonight at Advertisingiconmuseum.com
• Mac Tonight commercial (youtube.com)
• Doug Jones as 'Mac Tonight'

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