The Big Mac became the basis for McDonald’s “Big Mac” character in early advertising.
McDonald’s introduced the Big Mac in 1967 as a large hamburger with two beef patties, a middle bun layer, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, and Big Mac sauce. The sandwich was created by franchisee Jim Delligatti and first sold in the Pittsburgh area before becoming a national product.
The sandwich’s unusual construction gave McDonald’s a strong branding opportunity. Advertising treated the Big Mac as more than a menu item, using a memorable name and a rhythmically arranged ingredient list to make it easy for customers to recall. The product became one of the company’s most recognizable symbols.
The Big Mac is sometimes confused with the Quarter Pounder because both are signature McDonald’s hamburgers. They differ in structure: the Big Mac is defined by two patties and a center bun, while the Quarter Pounder is named for the pre-cooking weight of its beef patty.