Which McDonald's symbol became the company's official logo in 1962?

The Golden Arches became McDonald's official logo in 1962.

The design had started as two separate yellow arches incorporated into restaurant buildings. In 1962, the arches were combined into a stylized letter M for corporate identification, transforming an architectural feature into a portable brand mark.

Jim Schindler is credited with creating the combined logo. The symbol could appear on signs, packaging, advertisements, and other materials even when no restaurant building was visible.

The arches are often incorrectly treated as a logo from the beginning of McDonald's history. Their earlier role was primarily structural and decorative; the 1962 redesign established the recognizable M-shaped corporate emblem used in branding.