Rolls-Royce Debuts New Visual Identity For First Time In Nearly 20 Years

Photo Credit: Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

When one of the world’s most revered and long-standing brands debuts with a new visual identity, it’s a serious signal to the future. That is precisely why Rolls-Royce Motor Cars’ announcement of their new and modernized brand identity is a historic moment, as it marks the first upgrade for the brand image in nearly 20 years. Launching today, Rolls-Royce revealed its new marque designs by Marina Willer of Pentagram—a multi-disciplinary design studio—which seeks to appeal to the brand’s emerging younger demographic of clients that they represent both digitally and physically.

Photo Credit: Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Among the changes include an upgraded Spirit of Ecstasy—the brand’s emblematic figurine displayed on each luxury vehicle; a new color palette, including purple hues with a deep, majestic tone; Badge of Honor/Woodmark/Monogram (the brand’s signature ‘R’ Badge of honor; a new typeface theme, Riviera Nights; The Spirit of Ecstasy Expression—a completely new and transformative visual treatment, evoking aetherial yet tech-like feelings; and a continuation of the MUSE – The Rolls-Royce Art Programme, with two new biennial initiatives, the Dream Commission and the Spirit of Ecstasy Challenge.

Photo Credit: Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Paying homage to the beloved symbol of Spirit of Ecstasy, the brand’s new signature purple hue will be named Purple Spirit, serving as a model for the future visual appeal of the brand. To complement the Purple Spirit, metallic rose gold will be paired beautifully throughout the color palette as Rolls-Royce’s new primary tones. The Badge of Honor will now be reserved for the marque’s products alone that are born at the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood, Sussex, while the new, art deco-inspired wordmark ‘Motor Cars’ will take on a modernized and refined appearance. The new brand identity will be rolled out from September 2020.

Photo Credit: Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

“As the marque’s digital presence increases, there has never been a more important time for the visual language of the company to reflect our standing as the leading luxury brand in the world. We have embarked on a fascinating journey of modernizing our brand identity to echo those changes seen in our portfolio, our client demographic, their lifestyle and the luxury world that surrounds them,” said Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive, Rolls-Royce.

Photo Credit: Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

On the inspiration behind the new brand image designs, Willer shares, “I do not come from an automotive background. This vantage point provided me with the opportunity to observe Rolls-Royce as a manufacturer of luxury products. My ambition was to celebrate the luxuriousness of the brand while providing it with the means to visually communicate with Rolls-Royce’s younger, increasingly diversified audiences.”

Photo Credit: Rolls-Royce Motor Cars