Click to Enlarge.
Volkswagen says that during 2019 roughly 6.2 million vehicles were built worldwide with a “VW” on their grilles. Those two letters, of course, have been melded together for decades and have come to represent one of the most recognizable automotive brands on Earth.
So, why update an icon? Well, post Dieselgate the consultants have, apparently, swept in and are – in their own words – conducting “one of the largest rebranding campaigns in the world.” The upshot? Volkswagen has debuted a new logo, now rolling out to the U.S. market.
“The new design is a refreshed, minimalist take on the classic logo, allowing for more flexibility and versatility when it comes to the signature symbol. It’s a modern and simpler version of the previous logo, which has identified the brand for over 70 years,” says VW.
Led by Volkswagen Chief Designer Klaus Bischoff, the new branding was designed to be versatile, “digital first and reduces the logo to essential elements, which now presents as flat and two dimensional.”
“My personal drive in this redesign was to make the W float, bringing a new lightness to the Volkswagen brand,” claimed Bischoff. “Of course, this rebrand also brings Volkswagen into the digital era, transforming our classic logo into a trademark that is easily displayed digitally on devices and applications.”
The redesign also brings other changes to Volkswagen and its marketing strategy. The logo’s blue and white colors have also been refreshed with “a new deep blue tone, allowing for additional color variants.”
The international rollout will include the transition of over 70,000 logos globally. By mid-2020, the brand plans to complete the rebrand across the 10,000 dealers in 171 markets spanning 154 countries and has made its U.S. vehicle debut on the 2020 Atlas Cross Sport. What will this cost? No word from the people’s car maker.
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About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
Volkswagen Logo “Simplified”
Click to Enlarge.
Volkswagen says that during 2019 roughly 6.2 million vehicles were built worldwide with a “VW” on their grilles. Those two letters, of course, have been melded together for decades and have come to represent one of the most recognizable automotive brands on Earth.
So, why update an icon? Well, post Dieselgate the consultants have, apparently, swept in and are – in their own words – conducting “one of the largest rebranding campaigns in the world.” The upshot? Volkswagen has debuted a new logo, now rolling out to the U.S. market.
“The new design is a refreshed, minimalist take on the classic logo, allowing for more flexibility and versatility when it comes to the signature symbol. It’s a modern and simpler version of the previous logo, which has identified the brand for over 70 years,” says VW.
Led by Volkswagen Chief Designer Klaus Bischoff, the new branding was designed to be versatile, “digital first and reduces the logo to essential elements, which now presents as flat and two dimensional.”
“My personal drive in this redesign was to make the W float, bringing a new lightness to the Volkswagen brand,” claimed Bischoff. “Of course, this rebrand also brings Volkswagen into the digital era, transforming our classic logo into a trademark that is easily displayed digitally on devices and applications.”
The redesign also brings other changes to Volkswagen and its marketing strategy. The logo’s blue and white colors have also been refreshed with “a new deep blue tone, allowing for additional color variants.”
The international rollout will include the transition of over 70,000 logos globally. By mid-2020, the brand plans to complete the rebrand across the 10,000 dealers in 171 markets spanning 154 countries and has made its U.S. vehicle debut on the 2020 Atlas Cross Sport. What will this cost? No word from the people’s car maker.
AutoInformed on
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.