McDonald’s golden letter-shaped symbol introduced as a logo in 1962 is the Golden Arches.
The name refers to the paired arch forms that first appeared as architectural features on McDonald’s restaurants. In 1962, the arches were combined graphically into an “M,” giving the company a compact emblem that could identify the brand in many settings.
The Golden Arches became more than a restaurant sign. They appeared in advertising, packaging, roadside markers, uniforms, and corporate communications, often without the full McDonald’s name. Their simple silhouette made the mark easy to recognize from a distance.
The symbol’s history explains two common descriptions: the arches are a physical design element, and they are also a logo. The architectural arches came first; the combined logo treatment followed.