Which company logo symbol became McDonald's defining visual mark in the 1960s?

The Golden Arches became McDonald's defining visual logo symbol in the 1960s.

The arches originated as architectural features of early McDonald's restaurants. Architect Stanley Clark Meston designed the distinctive buildings, which used large yellow arches on either side of the structure. The arches were intended to make the restaurants highly visible from the road and to give them a memorable, modern appearance.

In 1962, Jim Schindler combined the two arches into the stylized “M” associated with McDonald's. This transformed an architectural feature into a compact corporate emblem that could work on signs, packaging, uniforms, and advertising. The design became one of the world's most recognizable commercial symbols.

People sometimes assume the Golden Arches began as a graphic logo. Historically, they first functioned as physical parts of restaurant architecture before becoming the logo. The color and shape have changed in some local applications, but the arches remain central to McDonald's branding.