What symbol did McDonald's combine into its corporate logo during the major 1960s redesign?

McDonald's combined the Golden Arches into its corporate logo during the major 1960s redesign.

The arches began as physical features of McDonald's restaurants, especially the buildings designed for the chain's early expansion. They were tall, yellow, and intended to catch the attention of passing motorists. As the company grew, the arches became more useful as a memorable visual mark than as a purely architectural feature.

In 1962, designer Jim Schindler joined the two arches into a stylized M. The resulting logo preserved the shape of the buildings while making it suitable for signs, packaging, advertising, and other media. This was a crucial step in turning a restaurant design into a unified international identity.

The Speedee character belongs to an earlier phase of McDonald's history and was associated with the Speedee Service System. It was not the graphic element that became the famous modern M. The arches remain central to McDonald's branding, even when the company uses them without the full wordmark.