McDonald’s turned its architectural arches into the Golden Arches logo in 1962.
The original arches were part of McDonald’s restaurant buildings, where they served as prominent visual features. As the chain expanded, the company recognized that the arches could work beyond architecture as a memorable corporate mark.
In 1962, designer Jim Schindler combined the two arches into an “M”-shaped symbol. The mark was paired with the McDonald’s name and gradually became more important than the individual building designs.
The logo’s history explains why it is called the Golden Arches even though it resembles a letter M. The name refers to the original golden-colored architectural arches, while the modern symbol represents the company across signs, packaging, advertising, and digital media.