A new logo, an upmarket move, and electrification are in the cards for Peugeot
WHAT’S IN a logo?
“Every one of us loves brands, and we immediately recognize a brand by its logo,” said Peugeot Brand CEO Linda Jackson, during the global reveal of the French car maker’s newest insignia. If you’re counting, it’s only the 11th iteration of the brand’s emblem since it opened shop back in 1850. “But it’s not just about a logo, but adding value (and conveying that) our brand is desirable.”
The reimagined symbol is expected to first appear on a vehicle through the all-new Peugeot 308 sedan to be launched this year, and will systematically roll out to the company’s global network of some 1,500 sites. Peugeot Design Director Matthias Hossann said he expects completion by the end of 2022 or 2023.
The new marque, a roaring lion graphic ensconced within a coat of arms, was created in house by the Peugeot Design Lab. In concert with the debut, Peugeot will mount a worldwide campaign in support of the new graphic and, more importantly, to convey its aspirations connected to brand values.
Ms. Jackson spoke of “turning time into quality time,” referring to improving the experience of the customers across all Peugeot touch points and not just in the vehicles themselves. The brand also metaphorically fancies its clients as lions. Lions of the past commanded influence and money; today’s lions “now have full control of their own time.” The executive said that, over the last decade, Peugeot has been hard at work toward achieving one goal: to create value and new engagement with customers.
Another key message that Peugeot wants the world to know is its “bold electrification strategy and its desire to enhance the ownership experience through pioneering new technologies.” The company envisions to electrify 80% of all its cars sold in Europe by the end of the year — and complete the electrification by 2025. Note that this timetable might not necessarily apply to our region. Still, it’s about going “full watt with electrification,” maintained Ms. Jackson, to make mobility engender a “safe, fun, and responsible future (for) customers all around the world.”
The brand is also looking at going “upmarket” — perhaps in anticipation of its electrification move. “We’re stepping out of the ranks of generalists,” continued the executive, into a “true high-end generalist… our upmarket move finds its first expression today.”
Peugeot has adopted the new logo into its websites, and promises to present an appropriate lifestyle collection of clothing and accessories later this year.
Replying to a question from the media, Ms. Jackson said that the logo change had been in the plans for a while, and is not an initiative following Peugeot’s integration into Stellantis, formed by the merger of Fiat Chrysler and the French brand earlier this year.
So what’s in a logo?
“In one fell swoop it embeds our legacy, our present, and our future,” concluded Linda Jackson.