McDonald's introduced the Big Mac in 1968, and it became one of the company's signature product brands.
The Big Mac was created by Jim Delligatti, a McDonald's franchisee who operated restaurants in the Pittsburgh area. Its defining construction used two beef patties, a middle bun layer, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, and Big Mac sauce. The combination gave McDonald's a highly recognizable menu item that could also serve as a major advertising symbol.
The sandwich was initially tested regionally before being introduced across the United States in 1968. Its name became so closely connected with McDonald's that the product functions as a brand within the broader McDonald's identity.
The Big Mac is sometimes confused with the Quarter Pounder because both are flagship McDonald's hamburgers. The two differ in patty format and construction: the Big Mac uses two smaller patties and a center bun section, while the Quarter Pounder is built around a quarter-pound beef patty before cooking.