McDonald’s introduced its first modern corporate wordmark using the name “McDonald’s” beneath the Golden Arches in 1968.
This identity combined the familiar arches with the company name, creating a more complete corporate signature for signs, packaging, and advertising. The change came after the arches had already become a recognizable symbol and after the 1962 logo had joined the two arches into an “M.”
The year 1968 is often confused with 1962 because both are important milestones in the logo’s development. In 1962, the arches were transformed into the symbolic “M.” In 1968, the company introduced the familiar wordmark treatment beneath the arches.
McDonald’s later simplified and recolored the identity in different markets and eras, but the combined arches-and-name arrangement became a lasting foundation of the brand.