Which McDonald’s symbol was originally a pair of yellow architectural arches rather than a letter?

The Golden Arches were originally a pair of yellow architectural arches rather than a letter.

The arches appeared on early McDonald’s restaurant buildings as large, curved structures placed at opposite ends of the façade. Their purpose was practical as well as decorative: they made the restaurants distinctive and visible to motorists from a distance.

Architect Stanley Meston designed the early arch structures for the McDonald brothers’ restaurant concept in the 1950s. The physical arches later inspired the company’s logo, but the original design was not created as an “M.” It was a building feature that could be seen from the road.

In 1962, designer Jim Schindler combined the two arches into a stylized “M.” That change helped the symbol work in print and on packaging. The architectural origin is why the Golden Arches are one of the clearest examples of a building feature becoming a corporate brand mark.