McDonald’s introduced the Golden Arches logo as a national brand symbol in 1962.
The logo developed from the physical arches built into McDonald’s restaurant architecture during the 1950s. Architect Stanley Clark Meston designed the early restaurant buildings with tall yellow arches at either side, making the locations visible from the road. Company executive Ray Kroc later recognized that the arches could work as a memorable corporate mark.
In 1962, designer Jim Schindler combined the two arches into the familiar stylized letter M. This version became an important part of McDonald’s visual identity, alongside the company name and its red-and-yellow color scheme. The arches were not originally created as a logo; they began as architectural features.
A common mix-up is dating the symbol to the opening of the first McDonald’s restaurant in 1955. The restaurant business was already operating before the combined logo appeared. The arches also predate later slogans and mascot campaigns, so they remain the brand’s longest-running major visual identifier.