Mini Seriously Streamlines Its Badge for 2018

by Matt Posky

December 15th, 2017 2:16 PM

mini seriously streamlines its badge for 2018

Mini has revealed an ultra-streamlined logo that will begin appearing on the brand’s cars by March of 2018. Abandoning the three-dimensional model as the automaker’s official mark, the new crest isn’t any more exciting but does looks a bit more contemporary.

The new emblem actually made its debut on the Mini EV Concept in late summer. At the time, it wasn’t clear what the purpose of the new logo was. For all we knew it could have been a way of differentiating electrified models from the company’s main lineup, or simply be a way to further streamline the battery-driven concept. Instead, it’s to be the replacement for the old logo and will crop up in all the automotive locales one would expect: the hood, tailgate, steering wheel, and key fob.

While the wheel and wing are indicative of the brand, especially over the last two decades, Mini could have drawn its inspiration from elsewhere. We wouldn’t have minded seeing the classic racing laurel make a return, and the same goes for old the six-sided shield — used when the car became a singular nameplate in 1969. But it isn’t because those decals would have looked any better, it’s just that there already seems to be a surplus of historically British brands that make use of a winged emblem.

However, straying too far from Mini’s current logo probably wouldn’t have made the marketing department happy. Mini thinks the flat, monochrome design makes key graphic elements easier to identify and brand recognition is an essential part of any automaker’s business.

“The preservation of the fundamental, tradition-steeped motif of a winged wheel with the brand name printed in capital letters at the centre ensures the logo will be instantly recognized,” Mini said in a release. “The deliberate avoidance of shading and grey tones creates a starkly contrasting black-and-white effect that conveys the authenticity and clarity of the new brand identity, its two-dimensional character also allowing universal application.”

The strategy is very similar to what BMW is doing with its own logo on flagship models. Of course, this should come as no surprise — BMW Group has owned Mini since 2000.

[Image: BMW Group]

#BmwGroup #Branding #Emblems #Logos #Marketing #MarketingStrategies #MINI #MiniEVConcept

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2 of 10 comments

AoLetsGo on Dec 16, 2017

I like it! The badge not the car. Ironically it reminds me of the USAF insignia not the British.

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WildcatMatt on Jan 10, 2018

Any time you see a company "flatten" or otherwise simplify their logo, the intent is to increase legibility on a smartphone. It's funny, long ago company logos were largely constrained by print-related factors -- cost of using multiple colors or amount of embellishment based on the dpi available at the printer. All that went away in the 2000s and we had an explosion of color gradients and 3D shading as color printing became cheap and video resolution (and screen size) increased. Now the measure is how clean does it render when it's 1cm x 1cm on a 4" wide screen you glance at during red lights. I understand the intent, but from a lot of logos you'd think it was the 1920s again. Which is why I was actually surprised that Buick elected to reintroduce color to the tri-shield.

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