The implication of Volkswagen’s logo change
I want you to take a moment and think about why Volkswagen would want to change its logo. Well, if you told me that it’s because of that little fuss there was a little while back when the world discovered that Volkswagen was hiding the fact that their cars were polluting much more than they should, then yes. This new logo is the result from that serious blow to their branding.
Without further due, here is the new logo:
Volkswagen has had a rough patch since the diesel scandal that has undermined our trust. Which is why Volkswagen desires to create new associations and to distance itself from its past.
But if you do take a good look at Volkswagen’s past you will notice that the company had already the desire to distance itself from something, and did so through its logo. Here are Volkswagen’s very first logo and a wink to Godwin’s law.
This shape looks somewhat familiar? It should, because Volkswagen was created as the people’s car of the Nazi regime, an image that Volkswagen was quick to brush under the rug when it became its own proper brand. By the way, here is Volkswagen’s logo change in 1960.
Looks like the new 2019 logo, right? Coincidence? We think not. It seems that this is the go-to logo model when Volkswagen is on the path of transition (redemption?). At that time, Volkswagen was completely transitioned from Hitler’s car to the peace and love symbol of hippies, hence, the new logo above.
Moving on! Volkswagen has turned the page on their recent diesel scandal, and to demonstrate that, they have shown their new logo at the same as the release of their new eco-friendly electric car the ID.3. A smart move from Volkswagen who turns their backlash into the opportunity to improve their branding. The idea being to make Volkswagen a relatable, contemporary and a human brand.
Think of something human, modern and appealing… Did you get it?
Then again, you guessed it, tech companies. The hot stuff in branding nowadays. Let’s look at what they are doing with their logos recently.
Look again at the comparison of the old Volkswagen logo and the new one:
The font and the shape of the new VW logo shares some similarities with those of the Silicon Valley brands. This demonstrates Volkswagen’s desire to be in sync with the era we are currently in, the digital era. What better than to use a simple, two-dimensional logo which is approachable but still inspire legitimacy and translates easily to multiple platforms. This logo also brings other advantages. It can be put in different color schemes and it can pull off the apple logo move easily and put lights to it.
With this brand new identity comes to some new features, a futuristic-electro jingle, and a female voice, which is admittedly daring for an industry which not that long ago was all about manliness. Then again, all of those are signs that Volkswagen is ready to move on and embrace the new values and characteristics of our age. Whether you like the new logo or not, the communication campaign and the willingness to rebrand from Volkswagen is a success. And we believe that all can agree that Volkswagen is moving in the right direction but only time will tell if this strategy will pay off.
To conclude this article, here is a word from Volkswagen’s chief marketing himself translated from German to English “We have created a new holistic global brand experience on all channels and across all touchpoints. As a general principle, the aim in the future will not be to show a perfect advertising world. In our presentation, we want to become more human and livelier, to adopt the customer’s perspective to a greater extent and to tell authentic stories.”
And you, what do you think about this story and of their new branding?
Tell us in the comments.
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