Formula 1 is the leading single-seat auto racing competition in the world. At the start, nearly 70 years ago, there were half a dozen Grands Prix but there are now at least 20 such races per year worldwide, reflecting its exploding popularity. With that as background, Wieden + Kennedy was asked to develop a new logo for the organization.
Executive Creative Director Richard Turley led the project, and he explains that the primary challenge was “to reposition Formula 1 as a forward-facing entertainment brand, which works across a multitude of channels,” he said. “The new mark aims to embody the core forces of Formula 1 racing: speed, attack, and control; while its sleek, sharp interlocking components celebrate the technical prowess of Formula 1 engineering teams.” Loyalists have criticized the new logo — racers and the Twittervers — as a sharp and unnecessary break with the past. Wieden + Kennedy officials retort that the new identity is flexible, simple, and fits into today’s world of merchandising and multichannel communications.
