The word “McDonald’s” appeared beneath the Golden Arches in McDonald’s 1968 logo.
The 1968 design used the familiar yellow arches as a prominent graphic above the company name. This was an important stage in the development of McDonald’s visual identity because the arches had previously been associated with restaurant architecture and individual signs rather than functioning as the dominant standalone symbol they later became.
The arches originated as architectural features on early McDonald’s restaurants. Their visual shape was later adapted into corporate marks, and the company eventually used the arches without the wordmark in many contexts. The 1968 logo helped establish the paired arches and name as a unified brand signature.
The phrase is sometimes mistaken for a slogan. “You Deserve a Break Today” was an advertising line, not the wording beneath the arches in this logo. The 1968 mark used the company’s name itself.