McDonald's turned its two restaurant arches into the letter M in its 1960s logo. The change converted a building feature into a simple graphic symbol that could work across the expanding chain.
The original arches appeared as separate curved structures on opposite sides of some restaurant buildings. As McDonald's grew, the company needed branding that could be reproduced consistently on signs, advertisements, wrappers, and other materials. Joining the arches visually created the recognizable M shape.
The Golden Arches symbol became more than an architectural reference. It came to represent the McDonald's name itself, even when no restaurant building was visible. This helped make the mark one of the most recognizable corporate symbols in the world.
The M is sometimes mistaken for a deliberately designed initial from the beginning. Historically, however, it developed from the restaurant architecture. The symbol's power came from combining a practical roadside design with a memorable, easily reproduced letterform.