The Big Mac supplied the name for McDonald’s 1968 “Big Mac” campaign.
The Big Mac is a hamburger made with two beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, and onions on a three-part sesame-seed bun. McDonald’s introduced the sandwich nationally in the United States in 1968, making it one of the most important products in the company’s branding history.
The sandwich had been created earlier by franchisee Jim Delligatti, who operated McDonald’s restaurants in the Pittsburgh area. Its distinctive middle slice of bun helped make the product visually and structurally different from a standard hamburger.
The Big Mac is sometimes confused with the Quarter Pounder, another major McDonald’s menu brand. The names emphasize different selling points: the Big Mac is identified by its layered construction and signature sauce, while the Quarter Pounder refers to the approximate pre-cooking weight of its beef patty.