Audi Updates The Famous Four Rings

Audi stands for Vorsprung durch Technik, for innovative mobility. A promise that the four rings aim to reflect through a progressive design. Designer André Georgi and brand strategist, Frederik Kalisch, recently unveiled the new four ring design and explain what it means for Audi.

“As a progressive premium brand, Audi targets modern customers who value high-quality design and attention to detail,” says Frederik Kalisch. “There are only two basic trends in brand presentation and product design today that precisely express this premium quality: the loud and very bold, or the restrained, pure, and clean.”

André Georgi explains further.

“The purist approach is more in line with our philosophy. We know that strong brands win over customers primarily through their product’s underlying substance and discreet identifying elements,” he says. “At Audi, this has always been the case, and we’re now making it even more consistent. Our philosophy is that every detail must convey a meaning or serve a purpose. On the product, it is above all, our four rings.

“Unmissable on the front and rear of every Audi model, that makes an Audi an Audi. We want our quality to speak through the design.”

Georgi explains what exactly has changed in terms of the logo’s design.

“Our vehicle logo contains three components with a high-contrast black-and-white look. It’s as though the striking white floats are embedded in a black glass body for an even greater radiance. By optically brightening the logo, the white lends the rings a flat, premium-quality look, which still appears three-dimensional in detail.”

But it’s not just the color scheme; the materiality is also new. Georgi says today’s chrome rings stand for high quality; the material alone conveys that message.

“But we believe that we have found the “new chrome”. The clarity of the new black and white rings makes our corporate identity unmistakable. The thin black border around the rings makes for a consistent, premium-quality appearance, regardless of the car’s paint or radiator grille colour.

“And customers can continue to opt for our new rings in black,” he adds. “This variation replaces the white with a dark gray that looks like high-gloss black.”

The design and branding duo say that Audi has also standardised the fonts in and on the vehicle. In the future, models will only use Audi’s unique font, known as “Audi Type”. They say the basic tone is significantly more restrained without compromising on distinctiveness or quality. Going forward the B-pillar will be designated as the detailed model, derivative, and technology identifier.

“This designation is because it has an identical design across all vehicles: always two parts in high-gloss black and always in the passengers’ field of view when entering and exiting. The lettering on the B-pillar was deliberately engraved tone-on-tone,” explains Georgi.

“The introduction of the new corporate identity is an exciting new progression for the Audi brand”, says Dean Sheed, General Manager of Audi New Zealand. “As a brand that stands for innovation and progress, we are constantly evolving to ensure the highest level of quality, and experiences, for our customers. This new upgrade looks to make our iconic Audi rings even more unmistakable.”

The Audi Q8 e-tron will be the first model to receive the new corporate identity with a two-dimensional design of the four rings on the exterior, along with the model lettering and Audi logo on the B-pillar.