Who created the McDonald’s “I’m Lovin’ It” campaign launched in 2003?

Heye & Partner created the McDonald’s “I’m Lovin’ It” campaign launched in 2003.

The campaign was developed for McDonald’s by the German agency Heye & Partner and became the company’s first global advertising campaign. Its short, conversational phrase was designed to work across markets while allowing local advertisements to use different languages, stories, and cultural references.

The campaign is also closely associated with the “ba da ba ba ba” musical hook and with singer Justin Timberlake, who appeared in an early promotional music video. Those associations sometimes lead people to credit the performer or the music production with creating the entire campaign, but the advertising concept came from the agency.

This campaign marked a shift from McDonald’s earlier slogan changes toward one globally coordinated brand platform. It remains one of the most recognizable phrases in the company’s modern branding history.