Which McDonald’s slogan, introduced in 1971, urged customers that they deserved a break?

“You Deserve a Break Today” was the McDonald’s slogan introduced in 1971. The campaign positioned a visit to the restaurant as a welcome pause in a busy day, linking convenience with an upbeat emotional promise.

Advertising agency Needham Harper Steers created the campaign, whose jingle became one of the most recognizable pieces of American advertising music. The wording appeared in television, radio and print advertising during the 1970s and remained associated with McDonald’s for years afterward.

People sometimes confuse this line with “Have You Had Your Break Today?”, another McDonald’s slogan used later. The 1971 phrase is specifically “You Deserve a Break Today,” and it is one of the chain’s best-known pre-“I’m Lovin’ It” taglines.