McDonald’s introduced its modern corporate Golden Arches logo in 1962.
The 1962 redesign turned the two architectural arches into a stylized “M,” creating the corporate symbol most closely associated with McDonald’s. Jim Schindler designed this nationally used logo, which represented a shift away from relying on the Speedee character as the principal corporate identifier.
The change did not mean that every earlier character or sign disappeared immediately. McDonald’s branding evolved through overlapping restaurant signs, packaging, advertising, and corporate materials. Over time, however, the arches became the dominant visual shorthand for the company.
The 1962 date is distinct from the early-1950s construction of the first physical arches and from later refinements to the logo’s proportions and presentation. The arches’ architectural origins therefore predate the corporate “M” logo by about a decade.