Vauxhall unveils new flat logo and word mark, joining a host of car brands going 2D

Vauxhall Motors has redesigned its logo and word mark, joining the growing ranks of car brands to this year shed their dated 3D car badges in favour of flat, digital-friendly icons. Vauxhall has reworked its emblem, a griffin holding a flag emblazoned with the letter V, which has been the company’s mascot since it was founded in 1857. While the company’s logo history does feature flat versions, its immediate predecessor was a 3D, silver, metallic-textured iteration (introduced in 2008), which has been flattened and simplified using a single tone – the brand’s core red.

The rebrand, done in-house, looked to create a more minimalist design optimised for digital platforms. In further efforts to simplify, the griffin’s wing – which previously wrapped around the top of the circular badge – has disappeared. The word Vauxhall will no longer be used as a banner across the top of the logo, instead a pared back word mark in a sharper, more angular typeface. The word mark is now in a new deep blue, changed from its previous grey, an attribute the brand is keen to link to its British heritage, having made cars in the UK since 1903.

“The bold yet simple redesigns reinforce Vauxhall's position as a confidently British brand,” says MD Stephen Norman in a statement. “Constantly evolving and innovating, the brand continues to reinvent itself, with these most recent updates a reflection of Vauxhall’s commitment to ingenious design and modernisation. While retaining its most iconic elements, the contemporary, minimal aesthetic had been created to seamlessly match our forthcoming models.”

The new logo will feature first on the new Vauxhall Mokka, due for release in 2021, and be rolled out across the identity.

Earlier this year, BMW revealed its new flat and transparent logo, followed soon after by Nissan, then later on Toyota, a trend that reveals the car industry’s widespread focus on digital marketing and reaching younger audiences. In the same vein, Rolls Royce also recently underwent a brand overhaul to target new markets.