The Golden Arches were added to McDonald's restaurant signs in the 1950s and later became the company logo.
The arches were first conceived as physical architectural features for McDonald's buildings. Their height and bright color made the restaurants visible from nearby roads, an important advantage for a drive-in business that depended on passing motorists. The design gave individual restaurants a shared visual identity before the company had its modern worldwide logo system.
In 1962, the two arches were combined into a stylized M. That transformation turned a building feature into a portable symbol that could appear on signs, packaging, advertisements, uniforms, and products. The logo helped unify McDonald's restaurants as the chain expanded.
The Golden Arches are sometimes described as having been invented as a logo from the beginning. Historically, their architectural role came first; their use as a combined corporate mark followed later.