McDonald’s trademarked the product name “Big Mac” for its double-decker hamburger introduced in 1968.
The Big Mac was created by Jim Delligatti, a McDonald’s franchisee in the Pittsburgh area. It used two beef patties, a middle bun section, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, and sauce. Its unusual three-part bun helped distinguish it from the company’s other hamburgers.
The sandwich became an important part of McDonald’s product branding because its name was short, memorable, and easily recognized in many markets. The Big Mac later became a reference point for comparing prices between countries through the informal Big Mac Index.
The Quarter Pounder is another famous McDonald’s hamburger, but it is a different product and does not use the Big Mac’s middle bun section.