Who designed the new Kia logo

Car brand Kia has unveiled its new logo and brand slogan, the latest in a string of car companies revamping their image for a rapidly changing contemporary market. Displaying a dramatically different typographic approach, shape and new colour scheme, the new logo is far from a brand tweak, but reveals a bravely large step away from its old image. It launched the new logo in an epic firework and light show in Seoul, South Korea, where it is headquartered, that gave many of the global New Year’s celebrations a run for their money, the mark created from drone lights in the sky that shot out jets of sparks. This also set a new world record for the “most unmanned aerial vehicles launching fireworks simultaneously”.

Kia’s old logo was its word mark in all caps but separate letterforms, its signifying detail being the missing horizontal bar on the ‘A’, which has stayed for the rebrand. The three characters also had a distinctive serif flick on the top left, a subtle hint at conveying movement. This detail has been shed in the redesign by its in-house team, and the type is now joined up, designed to resemble a handwritten signature, a “rhythmical, unbroken line,” the brand says in a statement. The word mark places heavy visual emphasis on the acutely angled ‘K’ and ‘A’ forward slants, and has a new similarly angled chamfer to the top left of the ‘K’ and bottom right of the ‘A’ that mirror each other. The brand says its symmetry “demonstrates confidence” while the “rising gestures” of the logo (referring to the sharp slants) “embody Kia’s rising ambitions for the brand”. Overall this carries forward the feeling of movement from the old logo, but in a more sophisticated way. While the type is less clearly legible than the old logo, the mark is nonetheless a bolder and more coherent, modern symbol.

The branding also replaces its red, white and black branding with black on white, though it may reveal more colourways in a forthcoming full brand strategy presentation on 15 January. This, and the new typography, aligns the brand more strongly with its parent company Hyundai. However, unlike Hyundai, Kia has removed its oval shaped badge for this rebrand – something the recent rebrands of Nissan, Toyota, BMW, and Vauxhall haven’t done.

Kia also announced its new brand slogan, “Movement that inspires” – replacing its former slogan “Power to surprise” – adding that its “bold transformation and all-new brand purpose… represents [its] ambitions to establish a leadership position in the future mobility industry by revamping nearly all facets of its business”.

“Kia’s new logo represents the company’s commitment to becoming an icon for change and innovation”, says Ho Sung Song, Kia’s president and CEO. “The automotive industry is experiencing a period of rapid transformation, and Kia is proactively shaping and adapting to these changes. Our new logo represents our desire to inspire customers as their mobility needs evolve, and for our employees to rise to the challenges we face in a fast-changing industry.”

Kia has announced its new logo will make its Aus debut on the incoming Kia Cerato mid-life facelift in May 2021, before being rolled out across much of the company's existing line-up over the ensuing months.

"The mid-life facelift, or what we call 'product enhancement', of the Kia Cerato arriving around May 2021 will be the first in our market to feature the new logo," a Kia spokesperson told Drive.

"After that, it will appear as model-year changes occur across the existing range throughout the year.

"The all-new Sportage, which is expected closer to the end of the year, will be the first next-gen model in Australia to bear the badge."

While it's yet to make its formal debut on a production model, the logo is already appearing in decal form on the fleet of Australian Open Sorento, Carnival and Niro hybrid courtesy cars currently in use on the streets of Melbourne.

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) February 7, 2021

Replacing the existing logo, which has been in use since 1994, the fresh design sees the K, I and A joined in a "rhythmical, unbroken line [that] conveys Kia's commitment to bringing moments of inspiration".

The new logo was also accompanied by a refreshed global slogan, "Movement that Inspires", replacing "The Power to Surprise" tagline that's been in use since 2005.

Additionally, the company has changed its corporate name from 'Kia Motors' to simply 'Kia', allowing it to move away from a more traditional business model and expand into "new and emerging business areas by creating innovative mobility products and services to improve customers’ daily lives".

The transition is centred on a new phase in the Korean car brand's 77-year history: the electrification chapter.

As part of a long-term strategy to embrace sustainability, Kia has committed to launching seven new dedicated electric vehicles (EVs) by 2027, including SUVs, sedans, people movers, and small buses.

The first of these is expected to launch in the first half of 2021 – a small SUV codenamed the 'CV'.

As the brand's first dedicated battery-electric vehicle, the CV will feature a crossover-inspired design, electric driving range of over 500km and high-speed charging times of less than 20 minutes. It will also be the first global model to wear the new logo.

Kia will also introduce new hybrid models and new hybrid powertrain options for some of its existing models – the first of which, the Kia Niro, made its debut at the 2021 Australian Open, with 10 Niro cars included in the 130-strong courtesy fleet.

Along with hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants of the Niro, Australia is set to receive the fully-electric e-Niro this year, followed by a hybrid and plug-in hybrid version of the seven-seat Sorento.

Kia's 'Plan S' business strategy also includes a strong focus on sustainability, with the car maker moving to use clean energy and recyclable materials in its production process.

Additionally, it has committed to investing in "eco-friendly mobility services" such as car-sharing, ride-hailing and other shared mobility schemes.

"Changing our corporate name and logo is not only a cosmetic improvement," said Ho Sung Song, President and CEO of the Kia Corporation.

"It represents us expanding our horizons and establishing new and emerging businesses that meet and exceed the diverse needs of our customers worldwide."

Susannah Guthrie has been a journalist since she was 18, and has spent the last two years writing about cars for Drive, CarAdvice, CarSales and as a motoring columnist for several in-flight and hotel magazines. Susannah’s background is news journalism, followed by several years spent in celebrity journalism, entertainment journalism and fashion magazines and a brief stint hosting a travel TV show for Channel Ten. She joined Drive in 2020 after spending a year and a half at the helm of Harper’s BAZAAR and ELLE’s online platforms. Susannah holds a Bachelor in Media and Communications from the University of Melbourne and cut her teeth as an intern for Time Inc in New York City. She has also completed a television presenting course with the National Institute of Dramatic Art. She lives in Melbourne with her husband and her one-year-old son who, despite her best efforts, does not yet enjoy a good road trip.

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