Yellow and red was the standardized McDonald's logo color combination developed around the Golden Arches in the 1960s.
The bright yellow arches were designed to be highly visible, especially on roadside restaurant signs. Red commonly appeared as the surrounding field or supporting brand color, creating strong contrast and helping the mark stand out from a distance.
Color became an important part of McDonald's identity because the arches were not used only as a black-and-white drawing. Repeated use of the same vivid palette helped customers recognize restaurants, packaging, uniforms, and advertising as parts of one system.
Modern McDonald's restaurants may use additional colors, including green in some architectural and environmental designs. Those later applications do not replace the classic yellow-and-red association that defined the brand's best-known visual treatment.