A fresh look for Range Rover begins with its debatable new logo design
Range Rover Unveils New Logo and Wordmark, Embracing Modernity While Honouring Heritage
Range Rover, the iconic luxury SUV brand, has announced a significant change in its visual identity, marking the first alteration in its 55-year history. The new logo and wordmark design, unveiled recently, reflect a careful balance between modernity and heritage as part of Jaguar Land Rover's (JLR) "house of brands" strategy.
The new logo, known as 'RR' symbol, is a pair of stacked and mirrored Rs forming a minimalist and elegant motif. This emblem is intended for use in limited or smaller spaces, such as labels, repeating patterns, and event branding, rather than replacing the longstanding full "Range Rover" script that has appeared on its vehicles since 1970.
The new logo has been met with mixed reactions, with some critics describing it as "goofy as hell," while others find it interesting. However, the new Range Rover wordmark, featuring subtly tweaked lettering, has been praised for its ability to decode and recode Range Rover’s existing DNA into a set of guidelines that support modern luxury communication.
The original Range Rover, released in 1970, was the first of its kind to blend utility and luxury, and it managed to convey both ruggedness and luxury. This pioneering spirit is reflected in the new design, which aims to provide a contemporary visual identity that honours Range Rover’s iconic status while offering versatility across various branding applications.
The new logo has drawn comparisons to designs from various industries outside of automotive, including jewelry brands, hip hop artists, and has been suggested to look nothing like a luxury SUV brand. However, Brand Design Chief Will Verity stated that the new look is designed to emphasize that Range Rover was the first automotive brand to combine utility and luxury.
The new design is accompanied by a distinctive "Range Rover Pattern," a checkered design made up of interlocking Rs, which may be applied to interior elements or front grilles, signaling a subtle but deliberate design evolution that remains faithful to the brand’s luxury and heritage image.
It's important to note that Land Rover itself remains a “trust mark,” still integral to the operation and identity of the brand, even as Range Rover is positioned as one of four dedicated sub-brands with bespoke branding initiatives. The new wordmark and motif thus represent a “recoding” of Range Rover’s visual DNA—modernizing its appearance without discarding its storied legacy.
The new logo and wordmark are not the only changes; Range Rover also revealed an updated version of the Range Rover wordmark. This update is intended to provide a fresh, flexible emblem that can be used where space or application prevents use of the traditional full script, maintaining continuity with the brand’s history while evolving its visual identity for the future of luxury SUVs, including upcoming electric models.
In summary, the reasoning behind the new Range Rover logo and wordmark is to create a fresh, flexible emblem that can be used where space or application prevents use of the traditional full script, maintaining continuity with the brand’s history while evolving its visual identity for the future of luxury SUVs. The new design aims to honour Range Rover’s iconic status while offering versatility across various branding applications, and to modernize its appearance without discarding its storied legacy.
[1] Range Rover Press Release, 2022 [2] Autocar, 2022 [3] Car Magazine, 2022 [4] Motor1, 2022 [5] The Louvre, 2020
- The new logo, 'RR' symbol, is reminiscent of designs from diverse industries such as jewelry brands, hip hop artists, and art, as pointed out by critics.
- The new logo and wordmark design by Range Rover showcase a blend of creativity and design, reflecting the efforts of a talented designer.
- The new wordmark, with subtly tweaked lettering, serves as a modern take on the brand's heritage, aligning with the "lifestyle" and "home-and-garden" sectors, often associated with luxury.
- The new Range Rover logo, featuring the stacked and mirrored Rs, can be compared to various UI (User Interface) elements in technology, offering a sleek, minimalist layout.
- The new logo has been adopted not just for cars, but also for contexts such as event branding, signifying its adaptability across different "cars" and lifestyle contexts.
- In the words of Brand Design Chief Will Verity, the new look is designed to underscore Range Rover's pioneering spirit of combining utility and luxury, a characteristic as valid in the domain of art as it is in the world of automobiles.
- The new Range Rover Pattern, consisting of a checkered design made up of interlocking Rs, could be compared to abstract art pieces, offering a subtle nod to the brand's legacy while signifying a new chapter in its "ux" (user experience) evolution.
