Say Hello to the New Volkswagen

To reinvigorate the brand in time for a new era of mobility, Volkswagen unveiled its new logo and brand design at the Frankfurt Motor Show under the motto of ‘New Volkswagen’. “The new brand design marks the start of the new era for Volkswagen,” says Jürgen Stackmann, Member of the Volkswagen Board of Management responsible for Sales, Marketing and After-Sales. “By formulating new content and with new products, the brand is undergoing a fundamental transformation towards a future with a neutral emission balance for everyone. Now is the right time to make the new attitude of our brand visible to the outside world.”

This major upgrade ushers in a new phase for Volkswagen which is innovative, connected, authentic and more digital. The objective is to create a new holistic customer experience that is modern and fascinating throughout the world and across all channels. Volkswagen’s Chief Designer, Klaus Bischoff, played a key role in the development of the new corporate identity. “In the new brand design, we have created an authentic communications platform for the emotional presentation of e-mobility. We are showing the Volkswagen of the future under the motto of ‘digital first’ and ‘no filter’.”

The changeover will be implemented in a phased approach throughout the world from the end of 2019, using a cost-optimised and resource conserving approach in several waves. About 70 000 logos will be replaced across 171 markets and more than 10 000 facilities of dealers and service partners throughout the world will be upgraded over the next two years.

Mike Glendinning, Sales and Marketing Director for Volkswagen Group South Africa said: “The new brand design comes in light of the development of vehicles that are more connected to market needs than ever before. It is for this reason that Volkswagen invested in a comprehensive revamp of every part of the brand to reflect and connect with its people better – from internal stakeholders, customers and the industry at large; in this way, the brand remains true to always putting people first.”

Keeping to its three primary colours of dark blue, light blue and white, the new Volkswagen logo is simple and clearer, reducing it to its essentials, which results in a style that is clear, open, succinct, and digitally appealing. The logo will also be positioned flexibly with the new “moving frame” in the future.

The brand’s visual language will be different from that projected by Volkswagen to date, with bolder and more colourful imagery that focuses on people in order to create a more human, approachable and authentic aesthetic.

Jochen Sengpiehl, Chief Marketing Officer of Volkswagen, explains that: “We have created a new holistic global brand experience on all channels and across all touch points. As a general principle, the aim in future will not be to show a perfect advertising world. In our presentation, we want to become more human and more lively, to adopt the customer’s perspective to a greater extent and to tell authentic stories.”

For the first time, the brand will have a sound logo, replacing the former brand claim. Furthermore, the Volkswagen brand will have a female and a South African voice in the future. The first of which, can be seen in the new T-Cross television commercial which will start flighting on the 21st of September 2019.

In South Africa, the new brand design will be launched in conjunction with Volkswagen’s first-ever compact SUV: the T-Cross. The new brand design will be unveiled at the T-Cross customer event, T-Cross City, between the 21st and 22nd of September at Montecasino in Johannesburg. Customers will also get to view and experience the new Volkswagen South Africa website from the end of September. The new brand design will be seen in dealerships commencing from September.

Putting power behind the ambition of becoming the global leader in electric cars, Volkswagen is preparing for an electric future. ‘New Volkswagen’ will become visible and perceptible in the design of the vehicles, in customer contacts and in corporate branding.

“The automotive industry is one of the leaders of the fourth industrial revolution. It is one thing understanding our consumers, but we want to go even further and help move them forward into a new world,” concluded Glendinning.