McDonald’s introduced its Golden Arches logo in 1962 in the form associated with the modern brand.
The arches began as architectural features on McDonald’s restaurant buildings. Architect Stanley Clark Meston designed the striking yellow arches for the company’s early restaurants, where they were intended to attract motorists from the road.
In 1962, McDonald’s adopted a logo based on the arches. Jim Schindler combined the two separate architectural forms into a stylized “M,” creating a symbol that could work on signs, packaging, and advertising.
The logo is often mistakenly dated to the opening of the first McDonald’s restaurant or to Ray Kroc’s 1955 company formation. Those events came earlier, while the recognizable corporate arches logo belongs to the 1960s.