The 1968 logo was the McDonald’s logo variant that added the word “McDonald’s” beneath the Golden Arches.
McDonald’s branding developed through several visual stages. The 1962 logo established the familiar intersecting arches, while the 1968 redesign placed the company name beneath the arches in a more complete word-and-symbol identity. This version became especially important as McDonald’s expanded and needed a consistent mark across signs and advertising.
The logo’s evolution reflects a broader shift from local restaurant architecture to a national and international corporate brand. The arches could identify a restaurant on their own, but adding the name made the mark clearer in printed materials and other contexts.
The 1968 design is sometimes confused with the 1962 mark because both use the arches. The key distinction is the addition of the “McDonald’s” wordmark below them. Later versions changed colors, proportions, or presentation without changing the symbol’s basic identity.