Relating to iconic logos, few are extra well-known than these 4 interlocking rings. And earlier than you accuse me of miscounting the variety of shapes within the Olympic emblem, I am speaking about Audi. So it is considerably shocking that the model is ditching the rings for a brand new EV model.
After months of rumous, Audi has unveiled a brand new EV vary in China, sporting, as a substitute of the rings (arguably the most effective logos), a merely ‘AUDI’ wordmark. The primary idea automobile to sport the brand new branding is the ‘AUDI E idea’, a “absolutely electrical Sportback” whose design is “each minimalist and calm”.
The brand new Audi wordmark (Picture credit score: ThinkCar through X)
“Audi is establishing for the longer term in China,” the corporate introduced as we speak. “To this finish, the corporate is launching its first new model alongside the Audi E idea: AUDI – with out the 4 rings emblem however spelled in 4 capital letters.”
The brand new model for the collaboration undertaking between #Audi and SAIC Group has been formally launched. The brand new model will formally use the “AUDI” letter emblem, and the primary mass-produced mannequin can be a B-class capturing brake, scheduled to formally go into manufacturing in… pic.twitter.com/yAjUrvpgHCNovember 7, 2024
Audi says the brand new branding “indicators each the connection to and differentiation from the sister model. Based mostly in and tailor-made for China, model and automobile symbolize the very best of each worlds – unmistakable Audi DNA meets China improvements… breaking new floor to faucet into new and extra tech-savvy buyer segments.”
The enduring Audi emblem (Picture credit score: Audi)
Audi CEO Gernot Döllner says the branding change is designed to satisfy the completely different expectations of Chinese language prospects. “Chinese language premium prospects are completely different from their worldwide counterparts and have completely different expectations: they’re youthful than in the remainder of the world. They’re extra tech-savvy. They anticipate main connectivity in addition to automated driving.”
Whereas it is smart that Audi is leaning into its EV partnership with SAIC as a way to particularly goal the Chinese language market, it is unusual that it might intentionally omit such an iconic emblem. Certainly, even the slightest tweaks to the tried-and-tested design have prompted controversy in recent times, from the model’s misjudged ‘socially distanced’ emblem to the flattening of the rings, have confirmed, followers are significantly earlier concerning the Audi emblem. Absolutely eliminating it, even for a particular vary, goes to trigger much more furore? As one Redditor put it when the change was initially rumoured earlier this yr, “Undecided man, I really feel just like the model is an enormous factor for corporations like Audi – even in China.”
Nonetheless, no less than the wordmark is legible – clearly Audi determined to not take design cues from Kia.
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