What was McDonald’s first national advertising campaign created by Needham Harper Steers?

“You Deserve a Break Today” was McDonald’s first national advertising campaign created by Needham Harper Steers.

The campaign launched in 1971 and became one of the most successful slogans in McDonald’s advertising history. Its wording presented a McDonald’s visit as a welcome pause from everyday work and household responsibilities, while the advertising connected that emotional promise with the restaurant’s recognizable food and service.

Needham Harper Steers was an advertising agency that worked on major McDonald’s campaigns during the period when the company was expanding its national identity. The agency is distinct from later agencies and campaigns associated with McDonaldland and other branding phases.

The slogan is sometimes remembered simply as “You deserve a break,” but its canonical advertising wording included “today.” It should also not be confused with “I’m lovin’ it,” which McDonald’s introduced globally in 2003.