Volkswagen has officially unveiled a new logo, one that has already made it on to prototype cars being tested and been used in advertising by Johannes Leonardo that debuted earlier this year. The new, flatter logo will replace one that was introduced in 2000, which featured a three-dimensional surface and had a chrome-like affectation. The new logo is closest to the post WWII version — the biggest difference is a wider outer ring. The symbol was designed with the digital world in mind, hence the two-dimensional appearance, but it incorporates thinner, two-dimensional letters to retain the vintage feel. And with just two main colors, it has a simple and austere feel.
The redesign, along with an aggressive new ad campaign, is part of an overall corporate face-lift and a push to emission-free and even electric vehicles – all accelerated by the recent diesel emissions scandal that has damaged the brand. The resulting symbol is reportedly “a collaboration between a total of 19 internal teams and 17 external agencies.” If you are not too discomforted by what was going on in Germany in the 1930s and 1940s, when the car was closely identified with the government, you can see a history of the logo here.
