Volvo's new logo makeover is a bit iffy

Volvo updates its logo design with seemingly minimalist effort

Whenever automakers introduce a new logo, they're usually accompanied by long press releases, big marketing campaigns, and plenty of pictures that showcase the redesigned emblem.

While the thought of changing one's logo (or logos) sounds trivial for some, it's a big deal for car companies. Not only does it represents a change in their identity, but it can also highlight a company's shift in design direction, or showcase a brand's new approach in making/selling cars.

The latest automaker to give its logo a redesign is Volvo. But unlike most brands that make a big deal out of it, Volvo quietly introduced it over the weekend. In fact, we were only able to notice it when Volvo started updating its social media platforms with the new logo.

But how different is it compared to the previous design?

For starters, it now has a monochrome minimalist appearance. From a 3D iron mark with blue VOLVO letters, the brand seems to have joined the 2D bandwagon in only black. The iron mark (inspired by the alchemic symbol of iron) is still present housing the 'VOLVO' typeface.

Despite it being all-new, we just can't help but notice that Volvo's new logo looks bland and uninspired. As a brand that prides itself in offering the "safest cars", we reckon they might have taken safety a little too seriously with their new logo. The minimalism might even minimize the presence of an already minimal brand, especially in the Philippine market where they only sell an insignificant number of cars. We've actually tried to help them by including their updated model list in our Buyer's Guide; we stopped trying after 6 months of nothing from their communications team as they seemed uninterested and content with their "volume" (or lack thereof).

For now, it looks like we'll be seeing the new logo on their communication and marketing materials, we're not entirely sure how Volvo will apply the new logo for their new vehicles soon. We'll try to keep an open mind for now.

What do you think of Volvo's minimalist logo? Do you think it looks good or did they take safety too much to heart?