McDonald's first used the “billions served” claim on its restaurant signs in 1963.
The phrase transformed a sales statistic into a memorable piece of brand identity. Instead of presenting only a restaurant name or menu, the sign announced the scale of McDonald's customer reach and invited people to join a very large public audience.
The claim followed the company's rapid expansion under Ray Kroc. Kroc became involved with McDonald's in the 1950s, and the business grew from the McDonald brothers' California operation into a national franchise system. The exact number on the signs later changed as sales continued to rise.
People sometimes associate the phrase with the Golden Arches themselves, but it was a separate sign message. Together, the arches and the numerical claim made McDonald's branding highly visible from roads and highways.