VW rolls out new look in NZ

New Zealanders will get their first look at Volkswagen’s new corporate branding when signs start going up at dealerships after the COVID-19 lockdown is lifted.

Putting up the signage was to be done by early April but has been delayed by the nationwide shutdown.

The new signage uses an updated version of the traditional VW badge in a circle, but is two-dimensional – flat – rather than the embossed 3D look of current badging.

VW says the existing 3D logo seemed rather “inflexible in the digital era. The new two-dimensional logo has been reduced to its essential elements. It is flat and open, offers high contrast and can be used with outstanding flexibility in digital media.”

It says the new two-dimensional design in which the W “floats” and doesn’t touch the bottom of the circle, is easier to adapt to large billboards as well as watch dials, tablets or mobile phones.

The badge continues to use silver lettering but the background colour can be changed for different models – high-performance Golfs, for instance, will use a red background instead of black. Blue is another option VW will use.

On cars, the badge is being phased in as new models are introduced. The first car on which it will be seen locally is the Golf Mk8 which is due in 2021.

“Other models that we’re getting, though they’re new to us, will still come with the previous logo,” says Volkswagen NZ passenger vehicles marketing head, Sara Pastor Ruprichova.

VW announced the new badge when it showed the ID.3 electric car at the 2019 Frankfurt motor show in Germany.

The new signs for dealerships have been shipped from Europe, and are owned by local VW agent, European Motor Distributors which will cover the cost of the change with support from head office in Germany.

Volkswagen NZ started rolling out the brand’s new corporate identity today.

Other components of the new brand design include a new female brand voice, a new website, and a complete overhaul of each local dealership, set to be implemented over coming months.