McDonald's introduced the Golden Arches logo in 1962.
The logo developed from the distinctive yellow arches incorporated into McDonald's restaurant architecture. Architect Stanley Clark Meston designed the original arches for the company's early buildings, where they were intended to attract motorists and make restaurants recognizable from the road.
In 1962, the arches were combined into the stylized “M” logo associated with McDonald's. The design became one of the most recognizable corporate symbols in the world and eventually worked independently of the restaurant building itself.
A common mix-up is confusing the architectural arches with the later logo. The arches appeared on restaurant buildings before 1962, while 1962 marks the introduction of the combined Golden Arches brand symbol. The logo's shape has been refined over time, but its basic visual identity has remained central to McDonald's branding.