The story behind the McDonald's logo (2024)

FAQs

The story behind the McDonald's logo? ›

The iconic golden arches

It's a nod to Japanese graphic novels (manga) and anime. WcDonald's will be around for about a month. Consumers will see the new versions of the McDonald's logo on some of the restaurant's packaging and on a new sauce.

The use of red and yellow in the logo is strategic. Red is stimulating and associated with appetite and energy, while yellow is associated with happiness and friendliness. This combination is visually appealing and psychologically effective in attracting customers.

The first McDonald's drive-in was opened in 1940 by brothers Maurice (“Mac”) and Richard McDonald in San Bernardino, California. In 1948 the brothers revamped the business, and a newly envisioned McDonald's restaurant was created to produce huge quantities of food at low prices.

Many assume that the McDonald's logo is simply a massive “M” to represent the name of the fast-food chain. However, an expert claimed that the symbol is also meant to represent a mother's nurturing breasts when looked at upside-down.

It appears that McDonald's has found itself in the upside down. And fortunately for us, it isn't stuck in some gloomy Stranger Things-inspired dimension. Instead, McDonald's is flipping its iconic logo—switching it from "McDonald's" to "WcDonald's"—as an homage to anime.

The restaurant chain will temporarily change its name to resemble how it appears in anime series, which flip the 'M' for copyright reasons, but the logo remains unmistakable.

Originally, real arches were part of the restaurant design. They were incorporated into the chain's logo in 1962, which resembled a stylized restaurant, and in the current Golden Arches logo, introduced 1968, resembling an "M" for "McDonald's".

Our mission is to make delicious feel-good moments easy for everyone.

The McDonald's Logo Shape Was Created To Get You Salivating

These arches symbolize stability, a place where customers can relax and enjoy a burger after a blistering day at work. People from China to South Africa recognize this logo because of its simplicity. It's a single “m”, and it's golden.

Who was the real owner of McDonalds? ›

Richard James McDonald (February 16, 1909 – July 14, 1998) and Maurice James McDonald (November 26, 1902 – December 11, 1971), collectively known as the McDonald Brothers, were American entrepreneurs who founded the fast food company McDonald's.

"In celebration of women everywhere, and for the first time in our brand history, we flipped our iconic arches for International Women's Day on March 8 in honor of the extraordinary accomplishments of women everywhere and especially in our restaurants."

The brain processes color before it processes words or shapes, so that's why the fast-food chain chose these two colors for their logo and brand. Red and yellow makes you hungry, encouraging you to want to buy the product they sell, while also making you feel happy.

The stars represent four different modules of training: Quality, Service, Cleanliness, and Operational Excellence. Our crew members work and train in various areas of the restaurant – they're the people you see most, working behind the till and in the kitchens.

The M stands for McDonald's, but the rounded m represents mummy's mammaries, acccording the design consultant and psychologist Louis Cheskin.

It was the first time since 2020 that quarterly same-store sales have fallen in that segment. The boycotts began in October, after the McDonald's franchisee in Israel announced it was providing free meals for Israeli troops involved in the war in Gaza. McDonald's has tried to limit the fallout.

When the McDonald's was built there in 1993, city officials believed that a bright yellow M would do just that. They claimed that gold would clash with the surrounding red rocks, and opted for a more pleasing, soft blue.