We'd told you a while back that Volkswagen is all set to raise the curtain on its new logo and the ongoing 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show it has done just that. Volkswagen brand has unveiled its new logo and its new brand design. This world premiere marks the start of a new era for Volkswagen, and shows the company's future course of action and that is electric, fully connected and one which has a neutral carbon balance. The new Volkswagen logo with its flat two-dimensional design is clearer and has been reduced to its essential elements. The brand design and the logo aim for high flexibility and are intended for digital applications. The realignment of Volkswagen's brand design is one of the world's largest rebranding campaigns. The changeover to the new brand design is due to be completed by mid-2020.
Volkswagen's Chief Designer Klaus Bischoff played a key role in the development of the new corporate identity. "In the new brand design, we have created an authentic communications platform for the emotional presentation of e-mobility. We are showing the Volkswagen of the future under the motto of "digital first" and "no filter".
The strategic foundations for the new brand design were not laid by external agencies but by a joint team of Volkswagen Design and Marketing. The design was implemented with the full integration of all departments of the company in the record time of nine months. A total of 19 internal teams and 17 external agencies were involved in the project.
The international roll-out of the new brand design will begin at Frankfurt International Motor Show. The starting signal will be given when the new logo starts to shine out from the high-rise building at company headquarters in Wolfsburg. The global changeover is to be implemented using a cost-optimized, resource-conserving approach. Initially, the brand's locations and dealers in Europe will be changed over, followed by China in October. The changeover will then be implemented step-by-step in North and South America as well as the rest of the world from the beginning of 2020. The roll-out is to be completed by the middle of next year. Volkswagen's rebranding is one of the largest projects of this type in the industry worldwide. All in all, 171 markets in 154 countries are concerned. At the 10,000 facilities of dealers and service partners throughout the world, about 70,000 logos will be replaced.
At the dealerships too, the logo, the moving frame and light will play a key role, with a view to creating a pleasant atmosphere. In general, the cost to dealers will be kept as low as possible. In architectural terms, there will be no change to the interior of the dealerships.
For several decades, Volkswagen has used a male voice to present its vehicles and for advertising purposes. The brand is now to become female.
Jurgen Stackmann, Member of the Brand Board of Management responsible for Sales, Marketing and After-Sales said, "The new brand design marks the start of the new era for Volkswagen. By formulating new content and with new products, the brand is undergoing a fundamental transformation towards a future with a neutral emission balance for everyone. Now is the right time to make the new attitude of our brand visible to the outside world."
