5 of the worst rebranding exercises in recent automotive history
Brands like to change but not all know when its for the better
Brands in all segments have to keep up with the times. Sometimes this is done through new taglines, other times it can be done through a different product line but today this list will focus on new brand identities.
Let's get going.
5: BMW
Doesn't that clear background just look wrong? I mean who really thought that a clear background on the BMW letters would actually look better then it had with white lettering and a black background? The contrast between the letters and the colour(poor paint choice I must say) just isn't strong enough. The BMW on the badge has never been set in front of anything other then a black background and never should be.
The big problem here is that BMW is losing decades of heritage and continuity with this redesign. Companies use the same logos over decades or even centuries for a reason: because it causes a reaction from the customer and that reaction is what made them successful. Does this new badge create the same reaction as the old one? For me no but that is for you to decide.
Mind you this one gets off lightly.
4: Nissan
The biggest issue with this new identity? It just looks so two-dimensional and flat. The loss of the chrome from the badge really makes this look like a lower-grade product then the last version of the badge and that is not what is needed with the current situation Nissan finds itself in. I wonder how many millions they invested into this new identity and compare that with the amount of customers that change actually brought them.
I would bet with my house on the assumption that the overall spreadsheet has a negative symbol in front of it.
3: Cadillac
Is it me or is that badge stretched to the point of insanity? The mistake they made here was with ill-prepared proportions. Some may like it but chances are they are on the drugs Escalade drivers use daily but then isn't that their market these days?
The thing is that their old market used to be old people(Warren Buffet for example) but the brand is too busy trying to attract hipsters to appeal to the elderly anymore. Take the Black wing line as an example. Who on earth would pay that much for a Cadillac? Do old people use V8s on their ordinary drives? Are care home residents interested in new and green investments? I don't think so!
To be fair to Cadillac they were trying to attract a new market and I do believe that they would succeed if this style of refresh was done to most other car brands. The issue is they forgot who their client was. Remember, if there are no clients then there is no business.
2: VW
This is another victim of the 2D syndrome. For the last 20 years or so VW have used logos that looked three-dimensional. That was because the brand designers used clever tricks to make it pop on screen and in real life. Now that the badge looks two-dimensional again it means that the work from those designers to make it look 3D has come to nothing today. Who would seriously look at this logo and think it was a hard job? Even I could draw this new logo pretty accurately despite my lack of drawing skills but on the last version of it I would have a tough time doing so. Why? Because the designers were actually allowed to use their skills.
Oh, and please don't mention the awful social distancing-promoting attempt.
Is that a hole in your gum line Mr. Hammond?
1: General Motors
If you seriously think that the new logo(right) looks better then the old one then god help your soul because your going to need it.
For starters, the lowercase branding looks weak and pathetic. So does the colour choice. Apparently the colour choice is supposed to look forward to a bright future with zero-emission skies. I'll tell them the effects used to achieve it look 20 years old and do look like they were done on a budget.
The line under the m is also supposed to represent their Ultium platform. I'm sorry but for all I care that could just as easily represent a door handle. They were desperate to not make their money go to waste and show the world their brilliant justification but social media reactions alone comparing the look to 1990's Windows XP and similar just answers that idea with a strong no, you failed.
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Comments (21)
The new GM logo looks like an Android phone manufacturer from 2008
I like Cadillac’s logo, but everything else is literal garbage
To be truthful I could live with the overstretched Caddy logo but the real question is do the care home residents who actually buy them accept it and the 'tech' image it stands for?
I think Cadillac is targeting the same market that the C/E 63 S lives in, since the V Blackwing models are similar in power to them and those are the only Caddy models I care about (besides maybe the Escalade).
I quite like those 2D ones to be honest (brings the logo into the 2020s). The GM one is horrible, but the BMW is even worse (especially considering what they used to be)
Sorry to say it but I disagree. To me 3D logos look more modern and crisp and flat logos of what used to be 3D looks last centaury. Also I would argue it lacks imagination.
I disagree. The 3D logos (especially the old Nissan one) look very 2005 to me, whereas the simplicity of the 2D ones look quite modern to me. I think they’ll look dated in 10 years, but for now they’re good
you can add Kia to the list
Forgot it but honestly its a good shout.
Its happening everywhere. Firefox, Google, Microsoft, Burger King, Discord, Staples, Youtube are all examples of these oversimplified logos. Its happening so much that it's become a meme.