What slogan did McDonald’s introduce in 1971 featuring the phrase “break today”?

McDonald’s introduced the slogan “You Deserve a Break Today” in 1971.

The campaign presented a McDonald’s visit as a pleasant pause in a busy day. Its wording connected the restaurant with relaxation and convenience rather than focusing only on a particular menu item. The slogan became one of the company’s most recognizable advertising lines of the 1970s.

McDonald’s used the phrase across television, radio, print, and in-store promotion. It belonged to an era when major brands often built broad, memorable campaigns around short musical or conversational slogans. The line was not the same as “I’m Lovin’ It,” which McDonald’s introduced decades later as a global campaign.

The slogan is also sometimes confused with Burger King’s “Have It Your Way,” a different company’s campaign. “You Deserve a Break Today” specifically framed McDonald’s as a convenient destination for taking a break.