The Big Mac gave McDonald's a distinctive branded sandwich name when it launched nationally in 1968.
Jim Delligatti, a McDonald's franchisee in the Pittsburgh area, created the sandwich after looking for a larger product that could compete with other substantial hamburgers. It used two beef patties, a middle bun section, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, and the sauce later strongly associated with the sandwich.
The product was first sold in the Pittsburgh region in 1967 and became available throughout the United States in 1968. Its name was originally developed as a marketable identity for a larger hamburger, not as a generic description of size.
The Big Mac became an important part of McDonald's visual and verbal branding. Its distinctive name, layered structure, and later advertising made it recognizable beyond the restaurant menu. The Quarter Pounder and Filet-O-Fish are also major McDonald's products, but they are separate branded items with different origins and launch histories.