Why has the VW logo changed?

We all recognise at first glance many of the logos of the major automotive brands, so it is not usually very common for them to undergo big changes. But these days we have come across the fact that one of the major European brands, one of the best known, has changed and been updated. Volkswagen has transformed its image and left behind the logo that has identified it over recent years. Why has the Volkswagen logo changed?

The idea that may seem most logical to us is the simplification of the image that defines and identifies the models manufactured by the brand. This new logo is flatter, simpler and easier to use in digital media. The logo that had been the brand’s image had a 3D effect, which disappears in order to return to a flat appearance and simpler look.

This change is due to several reasons. First and foremost, because the company is going through a rather bad time in terms of its image as a result of the dieselgate scandal. It is a fairly serious problem that has undermined the group’s image. So it must be assumed that with the change they want the public to forget that affair and that the new logo will convey a clearer and cleaner future.

In addition, the lightness of the design is also closely linked to the design line of their electric cars. The strategy of Volkswagen involves launching a complete line of electric vehicles, as we already know. The new design aims to convey that sense of lightness and cleanliness, and to associate the brand with electric mobility.

But the change is not only at a physical and aesthetic level, it also extends to the rest of the brand image. And to sound as well, since Volkswagen also wants to have a sonic logo. Furthermore, the corporate voice will also change, being replaced by a female voice, which is considered more suitable and pleasant for this new image.

The first market where this new image of Volkswagen will be seen is Europe. It will reach China during next October, and it will be launched in the American markets in 2020. Obviously, this is not the first change to the Volkswagen logo and it will surely not be the last.

Since the brand was founded in 1936, the Volkswagen logo has had several designs and has been reshaped in different ways, although always keeping the letters V and W, practically in the same form. Only the overall look has changed, adapting to the different trends of each era. The latest, introduced in 2012, had a three-dimensional appearance, which has been eliminated to reflect the simplification of the brand’s strategy.