Red and yellow became the signature color pair of the classic McDonald’s Golden Arches logo. The yellow arches provide the central symbol, while red became a dominant supporting color in signs, restaurant exteriors, packaging, and advertising.
The palette was designed for high visibility and quick recognition, especially for motorists seeing roadside restaurants from a distance. Yellow also reinforced the bright, friendly appearance of the arches, while red created strong contrast.
The exact appearance of McDonald’s branding has changed across eras and markets. Restaurants have sometimes used more restrained architectural treatments, and packaging systems have added other colors. Those variations do not replace the classic red-and-yellow association.
This color combination is therefore best understood as the traditional McDonald’s identity rather than a claim that every branded item has always used only two colors.