“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," said Rolls-Royce chief executive Torsten Müller-Ötvös.
"We have embarked on a fascinating journey of modernising our brand identity to echo those changes seen in our portfolio, our client demographic, their lifestyle and the luxury world that surrounds them."
Rolls-Royce appointed design studio Pentagram to create a new brand identity designed to appeal to younger demographics.
"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," said Pentagram partner Marina Willer.
"My ambition was to celebrate the luxuriousness of the brand while a nod to the Spirit of Ecstasy, a colour named Purple Spirit will pave the way for the future of luxury by becoming Rolls- Royce's signature colour."
Rolls-Royce Wordmark example.
A metallic Rose Gold is chosen to complement this colour. This elegant and modern hue will be reserved for items of longevity and used only in printed form.
The Noir imagery which surrounds Rolls-Royce’s Black Badge range is now punctuated by bursts of colour, reflecting each model’s launch specification, illustrating the bold nature of its signature alter ego.
Badge of Honour / Wordmark / Monogram
The double 'R' Badge of Honour remains unchanged.
The Monogram also retains its original form but replaces the Badge of Honour on collateral, while the Wordmark 'Rolls-Royce Motor Cars', as found presiding above the door of the marque's establishments, was found to be corporate and unrepresentative of the marque's standing as a House of Luxury.
Pentagram uncovered typography in the marque's archives from the 1930s and used an art-deco style as the basis from which to envisage a new Wordmark – one suitable for the modern-day Rolls-Royce.
The words 'Motor Cars' have reduced in size, with the emphasis reverting to Rolls-Royce, in recognition of the marque's wider influence outside of the automotive industry.
READ MORE: Rolls-Royce sheds light on its newly developed Illuminated Fascia
The Monogram and The Spirit of Ecstasy Expression.
The Wordmark has become more refined in its appearance, depicting the quiet, whispering power of contemporary Rolls-Royce.
Special significance has been paid to the letter 'R', to provide additional stability and prominence to this important character in the Rolls-Royce script.
Typeface
Pentagram’s design team explored multiple typefaces in search of a font that depicts luxury, without being overtly decorative. The chosen typeface, Riviera Nights, stems from the same family as Gill Sans Alt, the marque's previous font, but with additionally crafted and bevelled letters.
The Spirit of Ecstasy.
The Spirit of Ecstasy Expression
A wholly new visual treatment of the Spirit of Ecstasy has been created, called The Spirit of Ecstasy Expression.
Contemporary in appearance, The Expression speaks of the marque's modern lifestyle presence. The Expression adopts a fluid form and is versatile in nature. An innovative digital tool that uses coding has been developed by Pentagram to enable The Expression to be used on any surface, from projection to embroidery, printing to engraving.
It can be found in both physical form at the marque's global establishments and in digital form – connecting the elements of the marque's portfolio.
The Expression will become a distinctive and recognisable element of the marque's visual language, a key signifier of a House of Luxury.
Examples of the Spirit of Ecstasy in development.
