Which McDonald's logo element remained after the company often removed the wordmark from its signs?

The Golden Arches remained as McDonald's logo element after the company often removed the wordmark from its signs.

A strong corporate symbol can identify a company without spelling out its name, and McDonald's arches became capable of doing that worldwide. Their simple M-like form made them readable on roadside signs, restaurant buildings, packaging, and advertisements.

The arches began as architectural elements on early McDonald's buildings and became a graphic logo in the 1960s. That history explains why the symbol is connected both to restaurant design and to corporate branding.

The arches are not the same thing as the original Speedee mascot or the McDonaldland characters. They are the central visual mark of the McDonald's corporate identity and are commonly called the Golden Arches.