Volvo has a new FLAT logo - just like MINI, BMW, Nissan, Toyota...

Volvo has a new FLAT logo

Volvo is starting to roll out a new ‘Flat’ logo as it updates its ‘Iron’ symbol to make it more compatible with the digital age.

It’s easy to extract the Michael out of large corporations when they spend a gazillion pounds on a new logo, with everyone and his dog claiming they could have done it better for a tenner and a bacon sandwich.

But keeping ‘current’ is important, and creating new brand identities which look more current – but still maintain a visual link – is vital, and with the world now living online having a logo that is easy to show consistently across all media becomes ever more important.

So in the last few years we’ve seen car makers eschew the drop-shadowed, chrome-exploiting complicated logos developed as digital artwork became more common 20 years ago, for simpler logos that look like they could have been designed years before, but which resolve more consistently across all media types.

We’ve seen Nissan and Toyota deliver new ‘Mobility-Friendly’ logos, BMW going simpler – and back in time – with its logo, and VW doing the same too. And now it’s Volvo’s turn.

The new Volvo logo is already rolling out across Volvo’s media sites (no press release yet), and it’s a simpler design with just a simple circle broken by an arrow pointing top right (the iron symbol) and ‘VOLVO’ in simple script floating in the middle of the circle (above).

Despite already rolling out across Volvo’s media sites, it looks like the new logo won’t appear on cars until we get the next generation of Volvos – starting with the replacement for the XC90 next year.

Hit or miss?