Which McDonald’s logo feature forms a stylized letter M from two yellow arches?

The McDonald’s logo feature that forms a stylized letter M from two yellow arches is the Golden Arches. The symbol is one of the most recognizable pieces of corporate branding in the world.

The idea began with the physical arches used on McDonald’s restaurant buildings in the 1950s. Those structures were designed to be visible from the road and to give the restaurants a distinctive appearance. In 1962, the arches were adapted into a simplified graphic logo.

The Golden Arches are sometimes mistaken for a symbol created entirely as a letter M from the start. Their history is more specific: they originated as architectural forms and were later combined into a compact mark. That transition allowed the design to appear on signs, wrappers, uniforms, advertisements, and international restaurants.

The arches also outlasted many McDonald’s slogans and character campaigns. Advertising phrases changed over time, and some mascots disappeared from regular promotion, but the yellow arches remained the company’s core visual identifier.