McDonald’s introduced the slogan “You Deserve a Break Today” in 1971. The line became one of the company’s best-known advertising slogans in the United States.
The campaign presented a visit to McDonald’s as a welcome pause from everyday work and responsibilities. Its wording shifted attention from only the food to the emotional experience of taking a break.
The slogan remained associated with McDonald’s advertising for years and is often remembered alongside the company’s musical commercial style. It belongs to an earlier period than “I’m Lovin’ It,” which McDonald’s introduced globally in 2003.
The year is sometimes confused with the launch of the Golden Arches logo in 1962 or with later slogans from the 1980s and 1990s. Those were separate stages in the brand’s advertising history.