AUDI has worn its four-ring brand from the time it converged with Saxony car-makers DKW, Horch and Wanderer – every ring representing one of many 4 manufacturers of the Auto Union – on the peak of the Nice Despair.
The corporate quickly turned Germany’s second-largest vehicle producer and in 1978 rebranded merely to Audi, sustaining the 4 rings as a nod to its fascinating previous.
Now, the 4 rings that adorn the entrance of each Audi mannequin have are available for a contemporary makeover.
Model strategist Frederik Kalisch and designer Andre Georgi have been tasked with the vital position of updating the famed brand for the electrical age and mentioned the Q8 e-tron quattro SUV was a logical place to begin.
“As a progressive premium model, Audi targets trendy prospects who worth high-quality design and a focus to element,” defined Mr Kalisch.
“There are actually solely two fundamental traits in model presentation and product design right this moment that specific exactly this premium high quality: That’s, on the one hand, the loud and really daring, and on the opposite, the restrained, pure, and clear.”
A clear look is one designer Mr Georgi says aligns properly with Audi’s philosophy of innovation by means of expertise and says a extra minimalist look was one thing present Audi prospects have come to anticipate.
“The purist method is extra in step with our philosophy. One readily obvious factor: Robust manufacturers win over prospects primarily by means of their merchandise’ underlying substance and discreet figuring out parts,” mentioned Mr Georgi.
“At Audi, this has at all times been the case, and we’re now making it much more constant. Our philosophy is that each element should convey a that means or serve a function. On the product, it’s – above all, our 4 rings, unmissable on the entrance and rear of each Audi mannequin, that make an Audi an Audi.
“We would like our high quality to talk by means of the design and the product itself. The brand new two-dimensional look offers our rings a considerably extra trendy and much more graphic makeover, though their geometry is nearly an identical to the previous ones.”
Certainly, the two-dimensional brand is one a number of manufacturers have adopted as they transfer into the electrified age.
Mr Kalisch defined that the extremely graphic nature of the brand ensures consistency throughout buyer touchpoints, serving to the 4 rings seem the identical no matter when or how they’re considered.
“The 2-dimensional rings originated at Audi in 2016 as a consequence of digitalisation, basically to depict the rings in a fashion that suited the medium. Three-dimensionality on two-dimensional shows wouldn’t have met our technical and aesthetic necessities,” he mentioned.
“Our model brand is extremely graphic – which is a bonus, because it appears nice in two dimensions. To make sure a constant model presence throughout all buyer touchpoints, we coordinated with the design group to kick off the method of redesigning the rings on our automobiles.”
The that means behind the change was emphasised by Mr Georgi, who defined that it can be crucial that Audi’s company id is standardised throughout all mediums.
“Utilizing a two-dimensional brand on the skin of our automobiles first got here up in 2019. Then issues actually took off initially of 2020,” he mentioned.
“Our imaginative and prescient is to maneuver the company id from the digital space we simply described onto our automobiles and to standardise automobile identification throughout all fashions. We would like the 4 rings to look the identical all over the place sooner or later: Whether or not in {a magazine}, in your smartphone, or a billboard – and on or contained in the automotive.”
Mr Georgi mentioned the adjustments, though delicate, assist to optically brighten the brand, whereas sustaining a premium-quality look.
“Our automobile brand includes three parts. We’re preserving it constantly freed from chrome with a high-contrast black-and-white look. It is as if the placing white floats are embedded in a black glass physique for a fair higher radiance,” he defined.
“By optically brightening the brand, the white lends the rings a flat, premium-quality look, which nonetheless seems three-dimensional intimately.”
The senior designer defined that the materiality of the brand was an vital a part of the redesign, saying the black and white rings assist to present the now 93-year-old emblem an “unmistakable company id”.
“Right now’s chrome rings stand for prime quality; the fabric alone conveys that message. However we imagine that we now have discovered the ‘new chrome’. The readability of the brand new black and white rings makes our company id unmistakable,” mentioned Mr Georgi.
“The skinny black border across the rings makes for a constant, premium-quality look, whatever the automotive’s paint or radiator grille color; and prospects can proceed to go for our new rings in black. This variation replaces the white with a darkish gray that appears like high-gloss black.”
Past the 4 rings, Mr Kalisch and Mr Georgi say there are different “automobile identification schemes” that can tie in with the model’s future technique.
The Audi Sort font has been modernised together with numerous different “technological identifiers” that deliver the identical tone-on-tone theme displayed on the 4 ring badge to different parts of the automobile.
“In 2020, our group reworked the model technique and company id. This rework led to our new automobile identification technique, together with the imaginative and prescient of two-dimensional rings on our automobiles,” mentioned Mr Kalisch.
“The up to date identification scheme matches our new model technique. Meaning extra understatement, extra sophistication.”
Sophistication, and recognisable says Mr Georgi.
“It isn’t solely that automobile identification has change into extra premium; we now have additionally standardised the fonts in and on the automobile. Sooner or later, our fashions will solely use Audi’s distinctive font, often known as ‘Audi Sort’,” he mentioned.
“The essential tone is considerably extra restrained with out compromising on distinctiveness or high quality. We have now designated the B-pillar because the detailed mannequin, by-product, and expertise identifier.
“This designation is as a result of it has an an identical design throughout all automobiles: at all times two elements in high-gloss black and at all times within the passengers’ subject of view when getting into and exiting. The lettering on the B-pillar was intentionally engraved tone-on-tone.
“Identification and automobile design now act as a unit that aligns with Audi’s new model positioning.”
