McDonald’s adopted the “I’m Lovin’ It” slogan worldwide in 2003.
The campaign marked a major global branding effort for McDonald’s and introduced the phrase in advertising, packaging, restaurant materials, and music. It replaced the company’s previous long-running campaign line, “We Love to See You Smile.”
The slogan was developed through a global advertising process involving the agency Heye & Partner. The campaign’s signature vocal hook, often written as “ba da ba ba ba,” became closely associated with the McDonald’s brand.
Justin Timberlake appeared in an early campaign music video, which sometimes leads people to describe him as the creator of the slogan. He was a performer connected with the launch, not the sole author of the global campaign. The phrase remains one of McDonald’s best-known modern branding lines.