German advertising agency Heye & Partner created McDonald's “I'm lovin' it” campaign before its worldwide rollout.
Heye & Partner developed the campaign in Germany, where McDonald's tested the concept before adopting it internationally. The campaign used the phrase “I'm lovin' it” together with a distinctive musical identity and later became one of the company's most widely recognized global branding platforms.
The campaign was launched internationally in 2003 and was designed to work across different languages and markets. Justin Timberlake recorded a version of the associated song, while later advertising prominently featured the phrase and the “ba da ba ba ba” musical motif.
The agency is sometimes confused with DDB Worldwide or Leo Burnett, both of which have had important McDonald's advertising relationships. Heye & Partner is the agency credited with originating this particular global campaign concept.