SKODA AUTO is taking its brand appearance to the next level with the most radical change to its corporate identity (CI) in 30 years.
The SKODA wordmark will be featured more widely than the company’s picturemark in marketing communications. The new styling uses entirely different typography based on symmetry and a combination of round shapes with borders.
The most challenging element was integrating the caron above the S, which represents an important part of SKODA’s Czech heritage. The so-called háček is now integrated into the first letter.
The winged arrow symbol has been simplified. SKODA’s new picturemark will now be rendered without plastic 3D graphics. This is how SKODA is responding to the shift towards even more digitalised communication. The simpler, two-dimensional picturemark is more impactful, especially on mobile devices, and can also be integrated more flexibly into different formats.
The team working on the new brand identity was very small, but it received support from right across the entire car company. The work took over a year and initially the team worked with a total of 165 proposals, from which a shortlist of three gradually took shape. SKODA then put these versions through rigorous testing, involving over 2,200 respondents from the Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Norway, India and Israel. Based on their feedback, the logo design now unveiled was the winner.
SKODA will use two different green hues in its colour scheme: Emerald and Electric Green. In surveys, many respondents associated these colours with ecology, sustainability and electromobility.
The new CI will be gradually rolled out across all platforms – first in information and communication materials, and from 2024, it will also start appearing on newly launched models. The new design will also be reflected in the infotainment and other elements of SKODA vehicles. The revamp will also involve design changes to the premises of authorised partners.
Martin Jahn, SKODA AUTO Board Member for Sales and Marketing, said: “With our new CI, we’re taking the whole brand appearance to the next level. It’s not only our product portfolio that’s evolving but also our customers. And we see this as the perfect opportunity to make our brand fit for the decade of transformation and adjust its look and feel to the needs and expectations of our customers. Our new CI underlines the modern and distinctive design and clearly shows our digital first approach.”
