brand logo Archives

Toyota revises brand emblem in Europe

It seems to be the season for changing brand emblems with some of the global players introducing new or evolved emblems that reflect the digital age. Nissan recently debuted its new brand emblem and now Toyota is doing likewise but is using the new emblem only for Europe, not globally.

Announced by Toyota Motor Europe (TME), the brand emblem and design language are essentially reworked versions of the existing emblem and typography. The intent is to signal a new era for the carmaker as it transitions from a car company to a mobility company.

In describing the changes, TME says that the development has been ’around an ever-diverse customer base coming to the brand for an expanding range of mobility products and services’.

The new design language is ‘fluent’ across all digital and physical touchpoints. The new visual identity is driven by simplification and has been shaped by four key principles: forward-thinking, mobile-ready, more premium feel and ultra- consistent across all business units and sub-brands.

New Brand Visual Identity
At a glance, most people will wonder what the change is as the three ellipses are still in the same arrangement as they have been all along since 1990. But the emblem has a 3-dimensional appearance and the TOYOTA wordmark is usually under it. The new emblem logo for TME distils this into a simple 2-D design, with the wordmark omitted. TME is confident that the emblem itself is sufficiently well-known across Europe by now.

The current Toyota emblem (left), introduced in 1989, will continue to be used but for Europe, there will be a new emblem (right).

2020 Toyota Rush — *The current brand emblem will continue to be used for Toyota vehicles globally.*

The design is said to communicate simplicity, transparency and modernity. It is especially adapted to the digital space but equally effective in the physical world. It will be applied across all communication touchpoints, while the current emblem will still be used for the vehicles. The current signage at outlets will remain in place and will be reviewed in the context of Toyota 2025 Network Strategy.

New typography
The new visual identity also comes with a new bespoke typography called Toyota Type. This has been multi-purposed for both on-line and off-line environments. It marks a step up in digital readiness as the company expands its online retailing in Europe.

In conjunction with these changes, TME’s different business areas will undergo naming changes. For example, Toyota Insurance Management is now renamed Toyota Insurance Services as its business expands with the growth of connected services and new mobility products. In the used cars area, Toyota Plus now becomes Toyota Approved Used.

“We developed the new brand visual design with ‘tomorrow’ in mind. Our focus was on enabling ever better customer connections allowing them to keep pace with Toyota’s rapid expansion of electrified vehicles, mobility services and online retailing. The design was re-purposed to better connect with customers across a diversity of touchpoints, which they can experience for the first time with the launch New Yaris Hybrid, the all-new 4th generation of our innovative city car,” said Didier Gambart, Vice-President, Sales, Marketing & Customer Experience, Toyota Motor Europe.

Toyota’s has had three main brand emblems over 85 years. The one on the left had the original name and was registered in July 1935. However, a year later, the brand emblem was changed to one which had the name ‘TOYOTA’ in Japanese kanji characters (centre). This would be used for many years and while there were some other emblems used, the next major new one was introduced in 1989 (right) which remains in use up till today.

Click here for other news and articles about Toyota.

New Nissan brand logo for a new era

Logos or emblems are important and established companies pay particular attention to them because they identify the brand. Some logos may be used for decades but eventually evolve as times change – as what has occurred with the Nissan logo. It is a reimagination of the iconic Nissan brand logo for a new chapter, serving as a digital and physical trademark for a new generation of Nissan models.

Company founder Yoshisuke Aikawa followed the motto ‘Shisei tenjitsu o tsuranuku’ (If you have a strong belief, it penetrates even the sun) with Nissan’s logo. While keeping this essence alive, Nissan’s new logo reflects the significant changes in society over the last two decades.

The new logo points to the future and at the same time looks proudly at its rich heritage, at the tradition shaped by innovations, at milestones and successes back. The company name remains in the centre of the logo and thus underlines the recognition value.

Nissan’s 20-year old logo (left) will now be replaced by a new one (right).

The design process
The development of the new logo began in mid-2017 when Alfonso Albaisa, Nissan’s Senior Vice-President of Global Design, began to study potential changes to Nissan’s logo and brand identity. He set up a design team led by Tsutomu Matsuo, Deputy General Manager of Nissan’s advanced design department, to study everything from a subtle evolution to a complete reinvention. Albaisa offered the keywords ‘thin, light and flexible’, and set Matsuo and his team on their journey.

“Inspiration was drawn from breakthroughs in science, technology and connectivity… how these have brought fundamental changes to our customers,” said Albaisa. “As you can imagine, visions of digitalization started swirling in our heads.”

Over the next two years, the team sketched and plotted several versions, always keeping Aikawa’s directive words in mind: “be passionate, be an innovator, be a challenger.”

The team needed to consider several variables, including an early decision for the logo to be illuminated on upcoming all-electric models. This presented technical challenges, such as gauging the thickness and contour of the logo’s outline to ensure a crisp impression when lit and, of course, compliance with government regulations for illuminated elements on cars. The logo also needed to make a strong impression when not illuminated, such as when it appeared digitally or on paper.

The result after countless sketches and several mock-ups was a logo with a two-dimensional character. It looks more designed than crafted and is therefore flexible enough for different areas of application. The Nissan designers first started three-dimensionally with the illuminated brand emblem before the 2D model was finalized.

Reflecting Nissan’s change
With the redesign, the edgy, industrial look was transformed into a finer, more familiar and digitally friendly model. This change also underlines the Nissan development from a traditional automobile manufacturer to a mobility service provider.

“The new Nissan logo communicates our guiding message, carried over from past iterations: If you have a strong, determined belief, it can even penetrate the sun,” said Matsuo. “At Nissan, this strong belief in the power of achievement has never wavered and can be seen in our pioneering efforts in electrification, driver assistance and digital connectivity. Our logo has to convey all of this in just a glance, to show our commitment to our customers, employees and society.”

Start of a new era
The new logo is introduced this month, both in digital and physical forms. All of Nissan’s electric vehicles will feature an exclusive illuminated logo lit by 20 LEDs (corresponding to the number of years between logo redesigns), a prominent visual reminder that Nissan is driving towards an electrified future. The first model with the new emblem is the all-electric Ariya crossover SUV unveiled recently.

2021 Nissan Ariya — *New all-electric Ariya crossover SUV*

This will be followed by the new logo being incorporated widely, from stationery letterheads and dealership signs to social media and digital advertising. Different versions allow flexibility for different communication needs.

In certain digital and video applications, the logo even becomes ‘alive’, ‘pushing’ itself against various backgrounds and pulsating. The logo thus reflects today’s constantly changing environment and the flexibility required to be exciting, relevant and fascinating stay.

At Nissan dealerships, the new logo will first appear on displays and screens. The conversion of the outdoor signs and the showrooms to the new visual identity of the brand will start in November 2020. The new Nissan logo will be visible on the outside on a simplified slim tablet above the entrance. The characteristic dark gray paint can only be found on the main facade and visible side facades and the signpost is no longer required.

Visit www.nissan.com.my to know more about the Nissan models available in Malaysia.

Volkswagen and Audi modify their logos to create social distancing awareness

Volkswagen and Audi modify their logos to create social distancing awareness

Social distancing is important during this COVID-19 pandemic. By being at least 1-metre (more more) apart from each other, the possibility of the transmission of the virus can be reduced. It’s a difficult thing to do but it is something we have to learn to do automatically if we are to defeat COVID-19.

To help spread the message, Volkswagen and Audi have modified their logos to show ‘distancing’. The move is being done through animations and images on social media channels and other media.

In the case of Volkswagen, the logo which has the smaller ‘V’ right over the ‘W’, the revised logo now has the ‘V’ moved further up, creating a bigger gap. The simple message is that we need to keep our social distance.

The German carmaker adds that ‘at Volkswagen, we traditionally stand together in all crises and support each other. We are convinced that together we will find new ways and solutions that will enable us to overcome this crisis. Right now, it is particularly important that we follow the rules of conduct and hygiene with a lot of discipline’.

Audi’s logo consisting of the familiar four rings, which has its origins going back to 1932, likewise depicts separation by having the rings set apart. In their usual configuration, they are interlinked, like the logo of the Olympics which, incidentally, have been postponed to 2021.

*In Thailand, Isuzu has also used a similar idea to create awareness of social distancing.*

Social distancing is one of the measures that can help to break the chain of virus transmission. Once this can be achieved, the virus will not be able to infect more people and eventually, its threat will be reduced. That’s the reason why the government has the Movement Control Order which now extends until April 14, 2020. It aims to limit the gathering of people so that the virus cannot spread.

Introduction of new brand logo marks start of Proton’s next chapter

Ever since Proton formed its partnership with the Zhejiang Geely Holding Group (more commonly referred to as Geely) in 2017, it has been on an upward trajectory in all aspects of the business. Given the troubled years of the late 2000s and early 2010s, perhaps Proton should have embarked on such a partnership earlier because the auto industry was already changing. In the late 1990s, globalization led the bigger players to realise that consolidation was going to be vital for survival as competition intensified.

Daimler AG’s Jurgen Schrempp created a ‘mega car company’ by ‘merging’ Daimler and Chrysler and thereafter, other companies formed alliances or merged as well. But at that time in the late 1990s, Proton felt it was about to ‘graduate’; it had learnt all there was about being a carmaker and by 2000, the CEO confidently told Malaysians and the world that it was a full-fledged carmaker ready to take its place in the global arena as a credible brand. It did not need to rely on other carmakers any longer; on the contrary, the CEO said: “Other carmakers are knocking on our doors for our technology.”

However, various domestic and internal issues prevented Proton from moving ahead and worse, it slipped from leadership in its own market where it had been able to hold the biggest share. Various parties with different interests either supported moves to find partners or simply rejected the idea on the grounds that Proton would lose its Malaysian identity.

By 2016, it was clear that having a foreign partner was the only way for Proton and DRB-HICOM picked Geely because it was the ‘best fit’. The partnership has since worked well and facts and figures suggest that it won’t be long before Proton is up at the top. It’s already No.2 in overall sales; registering a 36% growth in a market that saw a 5% decrease in sales; and it is the only major brand to have double-digit growth in 2019.

This has come about with assistance and guidance from Geely in many areas, especially quality. The Chairman of Proton Holdings, Dato’ Seri Syed Faisal Albar, added that much serious effort had gone into ‘improving and correcting the fundamentals’ of the business. And while the dealerships have all been upgraded significantly to enhance and improve the customer experience, attention has also been given to changing the mindset of those who work for the brand. It is no longer like the early years when it was a seller’s market and customers had limited choices as competition today means that they can consider many alternatives.

So, 2 years after starting a new chapter in its history, Proton’s progress is back on track and it is winning back the trust of customers in its most important market. “Our ambition is to become a truly modern, global automotive brand. Our new ethos comprises our core values of always using innovative technology, our commitment to reliability and adopting an international point of view,” said Dr. Li Chunrong, CEO of Proton.“

Having completed one chapter, Proton is now about to embark on the next one and to signify this, the brand logo has been given a subtle makeover. It is a more stylized representation of the tiger head, rendered in silver, with a stronger finish. The new design ‘uncages’ the figure (with more geometric lines) which has its head held high to show a determination to move forward to success.

Accompanying the new logo is Proton’s new tagline which will now be ‘Inspiring Connections’. It is said to encapsulate the brand’s aspiration of ‘utilizing technology and mobility to help make human connections that inspire a successful life’.

EVOLUTION OF THE PROTON LOGO

Proton’s first logo appeared with the Saga, its first model. To strengthen its identity as a Malaysian National Car, the logo incorporated the Malaysian flag with the star and crescent on a dark blue background. The combined elements were inserted at the top of what resembled a shield with a grey finish. This badge was used only on the Saga up till 1993.

During the late 1980s when the first exports of Proton cars began, there was actually an alternate logo used for some markets. This was an entirely different design which did not use the Malaysian flag although a yellow ‘star’ with 14 points in the middle alluded to its identity. Surrounding the central elements was a circle of silver stars set on a blue background.
According to a former Proton executive who was involved in the export business, the alternative logo was used to ‘play it safe’. “We were a young company, just getting into the car-making business and we felt we had to take into consideration the sensitivities of some of the markets we entered. Our new dealer partners in some of those markets suggested that a less ‘Muslim-looking’ logo would be better and so we followed their advice and came up with something neutral,” he recalled. However, the alternate logo was used only for a small number of markets in Europe. It was eventually dropped as Proton’s confidence grew and the brand got established and accepted. Some units appeared on Malaysian roads but these were cars that were brought back from overseas by some owners or the badge was changed.

The next time the logo was restyled was in 1993 when the Wira was introduced as the third Proton model after the Saga and Saga Aeroback. This logo continued with the theme of the Malaysian flag and retained the colours but the larger part of the grey shield was omitted. The logo became more compact within a triangular shape which could still be regarded as a ‘shield’.

Piston.my

brand logo

Toyota revises brand emblem in Europe

New Nissan brand logo for a new era

Introduction of new brand logo marks start of Proton’s next chapter

EVOLUTION OF THE PROTON LOGO

Toyota revises brand emblem in Europe

New Nissan brand logo for a new era

Introduction of new brand logo marks start of Proton’s next chapter

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