What name did McDonald’s use for its first modern logo, introduced in 1968?

McDonald’s used the name “Golden Arches” for its first modern logo, introduced in 1968. The logo presented the restaurant’s two architectural arches as a unified, stylized letter M.

The original arches were part of the roadside restaurant design developed for McDonald’s in the 1950s. They were highly visible physical structures, intended to attract passing motorists. By the 1960s, the company needed a graphic mark that could work consistently on signs, packaging, advertising, and corporate materials.

The 1968 version helped establish the form that audiences recognize today. Although the logo has been adjusted in color, proportions, and surrounding design over the years, the central arches have remained a durable part of McDonald’s identity.

The term “Golden Arches” can refer either to the physical architectural features or to the logo. In branding discussions, however, it commonly means the stylized yellow emblem that came to symbolize McDonald’s worldwide.