For any company with a high degree of influence around the world, the brand identity (LOGO) is the core of its brand visual image, and even small changes will attract attention. Therefore, when the news came out that Buick would carry out the largest "re-labeling" operation in three decades, it naturally quickly became the focus of widespread discussion among fans and the design community, and even appeared on the Weibo hot search list.
According to overseas media reports, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office recently announced buick's latest application for brand LOGO design: compared with the original LOGO, the new design removed the "ring" surrounding the "shield", the three "shields" that were once staggered in the form of diagonal lines were changed to be independent and horizontally aligned, and the diagonal lines within each shield were also replaced by powerful lines that dived downwards, and while conforming to today's digital and flat design trends, the new logo also cleverly relied on metal arcs. Details such as cutout patches have become more technological and three-dimensional. Although the declaration drawing is presented in black and white, it is reported that the iconic red, silver and blue combinations will continue to be used, but may be presented in an innovative form.
As we all know, the wave of new energy is sweeping the world, and it is interesting that many multinational automakers, including Cadillac, BMW, Audi, and Volkswagen, often use the new brand LOGO as a "declaration of change" when embracing this trend. So, what are the "mysteries" of Buick's drastic adjustment of the brand identity this time? What kind of ambition is behind it?
How determined is Buick to transform itself?
As the world's first "pioneer" to develop "concept cars" and introduce the concept of "design" into the automotive industry, Buick, with a century-old precipitation, is very good at using visual language to convey a positive and enterprising brand image. Every seemingly small brand identity change and brand proposition update represents Buick's insight into the times and its vision for the future.
If you look closely, you will find that although Buick's new LOGO does not have a "ring", it still builds a complete unity through clever design, which is a rational and pluralistic embodiment, and at the same time it is flat like an industrial product, boundless and infinite, and the rhythm is beyond imagination. It is not difficult to see that Buick, which keeps up with the aesthetics of the times, hopes to have an equal dialogue with the younger generation of consumers through a cleaner, more stylish and more dynamic design language. The cancellation of the "circle" may mean Buick's bold breakthrough in the industrial boundary and the inherent circle layer, and does not rule out the possibility of building an "automotive meta-universe" of human-machine collaboration, cross-border integration, and co-creation and sharing, which is undoubtedly more exciting to the user's imagination.
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In fact, some smart car fans also saw Buick's "careful thinking", they have said: "After the 'circle' is gone, there is nothing that can stop the 'three shields', let's see how the product breaks through." ”
The secret of the renewal of Buick brand products lies in the redesigned "three shields".
Regarding the "Three Shields" logo, I believe everyone is familiar with it, the LOGO based on the family logo of the brand founder David Dunbar Buick was well received as soon as it was born in 1959, which not only symbolizes Buick's unremitting pursuit of creating high-quality cars ("The Car of Quality"), but also represents the three new models launched by Buick that year: LeSabre, Invicta and Electra, which has spawned many popular classic models.
More than half a century later, Electra, which was once a bellwether of automotive design and technology, has been revived and featured in the 2022 Super Bowl generic ad. Foreign media have also speculated that this Electra electric model, which is expected to be officially unveiled in the world this summer, may take the lead in carrying Buick's new LOGO. "Master Of Buying a Car" also agrees with the general view of the industry: a "shield" in the new LOGO represents the Electra series and Buick's electrification strategy, but more importantly, the "three shields" are repositioned in a horizontal and juxtaposition, indicating that Buick has raised the electrified model to the same important position as the traditional fuel vehicle, and may even adopt a flat business model of similar Internet companies such as independent operation, direct customer connection, and personalized community, and fully enter the new energy vehicle market.
This speculation is not "brain-opening". At the brand day held in April 2021, SAIC-GM Buick announced that it will introduce the GM Ultium Aoteneng platform to accelerate the transformation of traditional fuel drive systems to electrification, and launch more than 5 new pure electric vehicles by 2025, striving to use GM's new VIP intelligent electronic architecture for new models, so that vehicles can truly become intelligent terminal devices in the 5G era.
If the previous pure electric vehicles are still stuck in the era of "functional machines", then the pure electric vehicles built based on the Aoteneng platform have taken the lead in entering the era of "smart machines". In short, the advantages of the Aoteneng platform are "smart", "flexible" and "safe": the Aoteneng platform has extreme flexibility and openness, which can adapt to the current mainstream power batteries such as lithium iron phosphate and ternary lithium, and can also adapt well to forward-looking technologies such as solid-state batteries and lithium metal batteries. In addition, thanks to the new VIP intelligent electronic architecture, which supports high-speed network communication such as vehicle-level OTA, the vehicle not only has a strong computing power to cope with complex functions such as intelligent driving, but also has a sensitive and rapid response speed to achieve a comprehensive intelligent evolution.
Combined with the latest release of the trailer, buick Electra's highly recognizable light breathing headlights, front hatch and other details have been well restored. "Car Buyer" also boldly guessed that Buick's new LOGO is expected to be presented in the form of luminous car logos, and form a very sci-fi lamp effect with headlights. Of course, this "spaceship" that won the 2021 German "Red Dot Design Concept Award" is not only Yan Yan Online, but also the integrated retina curved screen that was "promised" when the concept car was released, the future generation of Buick intelligent interconnection technology, and the Buick intelligent AI voice assistant that realizes the full vehicle function control... Can so many "black technologies" give a "family bucket"? I believe that the majority of car fans are rubbing their fists.
There is no doubt that this upcoming new car depicts the evolution of the Buick brand under the new Aotene platform.
Icebreaker, how does the "King of MPV" upgrade himself?
In addition to the much-anticipated Electro model, Buick's flagship concept car of the GL8 unveiled at the Guangzhou Auto Show last year is also highly anticipated.
In this preview of Buick's new MPV forward-looking design and leading technology, although every audience will be sincerely praised, the Buick GL8 flagship concept car does not blindly pursue the "sense of luxury" by stacking materials, but based on the deep accumulation and user insight in the high-end MPV market for more than 20 years, the Chinese aesthetic and national fashion are integrated. With the ring-screen retina screen as the center, the concept car constructs a multi-dimensional interactive space, and the back row creates a quite meaningful and exclusive back row with a tea table that sees the landscape and water within easy reach. The front seats can also rotate freely backwards, allowing occupants to interact emotionally with the car during break conversations.
Fascinatingly, the car is equipped with a very forward-looking visual interaction technology, the driver can start the vehicle through dynamic eye capture technology, and judge the vehicle's driving status, while also being able to control almost all vehicle functions with voice, combined with the VR vision system, to bring a new immersive human-vehicle interaction experience.
There is no doubt that this concept car predicts the Determination of the Buick brand to continue to expand into a new segment of the higher-end, more luxurious MPV. What's more, Buick's concept car is more than just a "concept car." "Car Buyer" learned that the mass production model of Buick GL8's new flagship MPV is expected to meet with everyone soon, when more consumers can appreciate the charm of the future smart MPV.
In addition to these "aces", Buick will also focus on building a high-end sub-brand of Aivia, a "micro-blue" new energy sub-brand and a GS trend sports car series, bringing consumers a more high-end, smarter and more personalized choice. At the same time, based on the comprehensively upgraded "iBuick" super App, Buick is also deeply integrating online applications and offline services, and integrating a new UI interaction design, a richer owner community platform and a more perfect membership growth system to create a smart service ecosystem that integrates car viewing, car purchase, car use, after-sales, information, social networking, and real-time service for the majority of users.
"Building contemporary cars in a contemporary spirit" will never be out of date
With the pace of economic globalization, almost all multinational car companies have poured into the Chinese market, giving birth to the world's most dynamic automobile market. However, there are still only a few joint venture brands that can bring a series of classic models such as GL8, LaCrosse, and Regal such as GL8, LaCrosse, and Regal, and have a certain dominance in the three mainstream high-end markets of MPV, sedan and SUV.
The reason is that in the 24 years since entering China, Buick has always adhered to the full integration of Chinese culture and mainstream values, learned from the strengths of The Chinese and Western, unreservedly docked its own global value chain with the Chinese market, and deeply integrated the superior resources of both sides of SAIC-GM's parent company, thus achieving an accurate grasp of each change in consumer trends and fully meeting the consumer needs of each generation of young people in China, which also makes the Buick brand in the face of a new "track" of auto industry change. It can drive faster and more steadily to the "first echelon".
In the view of "Car Buyer", the new LOGO can more clearly and accurately highlight Buick's brand proposition and brand value when it participates in the wave of industry development of "electrification, networking and intelligence". The new products with great charm and scientific and technological strength have allowed consumers to see the infinite possibilities of a sustainable, intelligent and humanized travel experience. How can such a Buick not make people full of expectations?