What two colors dominated the classic McDonald's Golden Arches logo?

Yellow and red dominated the classic McDonald's Golden Arches logo.

The bright yellow arches against a red field became a highly recognizable combination in McDonald's signs, packaging, and advertising. Yellow helped the arches stand out visually, while red contributed strong roadside visibility and a bold, energetic appearance.

The colors were not the entire McDonald's identity, but they became closely associated with it. Restaurants often used the palette together with distinctive architectural forms, illuminated signs, and the M-shaped mark. This combination helped customers recognize McDonald's quickly from a distance.

Modern McDonald's branding also uses other colors, including black, white, and green in different contexts. Those later applications do not change the classic association of the Golden Arches with yellow and red.