McDonald’s introduced the modern Golden Arches logo with the wordmark beneath it in 1968.
The Golden Arches began as architectural features of McDonald’s restaurants, but they gradually became a standalone corporate symbol. The 1968 logo treatment joined the stylized arches with the McDonald’s name, creating a compact mark that could be used beyond the physical restaurant building.
This development was important because it helped the company maintain a consistent identity across signs, packaging, advertising, uniforms, and later international markets. The arches were no longer only something customers saw on a roadside restaurant; they became the central visual shorthand for the brand.
The logo has been adjusted in later decades, including versions that use the arches without the wordmark. Those later treatments should not be confused with the 1968 introduction of the combined modern logo. The symbol’s roots remain in the restaurant architecture developed during McDonald’s early expansion.