Which 1971 McDonald's slogan urged customers that they deserved a break during the day?

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

The line connected a McDonald's visit with taking a pleasant pause from work or daily routines. It became one of the chain's most recognizable advertising phrases and was closely associated with a memorable jingle.

The slogan is sometimes confused with later McDonald's lines such as “We Love to See You Smile” and “I'm Lovin' It.” Those phrases belonged to different advertising periods. “You Deserve a Break Today” is specifically the early-1970s campaign line.

The campaign also helped establish McDonald's as more than a restaurant selling inexpensive food: its advertising presented the brand as a convenient, cheerful part of everyday life.