The BMW Group names two people as its founders: Gustave Otto and Karl Rappwho in Munich at the beginning of the 20th century, they independently started business in the field of aerospace. A significant share in the formation of the enterprise and its subsequent successes should be attributed to persons: Franz Josef Pop — the first Chief Executive Officer, Max Friz — the chief designer and technical director, and Camillo Castiglioni — shareholder and the owner of the enterprise. (wikipedia)
History of the BMW logo
So the history of the BMW logo is based on a legend - a legend that still exists. “For a long time, BMW has not sought to correct the myth that the BMW badge is a propeller,” explains Fred Jakobs of BMW Group Classic. According to the expert, sticking to the story that the BMW emblem is a propeller would not be entirely wrong. However, it is not entirely true that there is a propeller in the BMW logo. Constant repetition has made this explanation a self-propagating urban myth. “This interpretation has been common for 90 years, so in the meantime it has gained some justification,” explains Jakobs.
The history of the BMW brand - Bayerische Motoren Werke or Bavarian Motor Works - dates back to 1917. BMW was founded after changing the name of aircraft engine manufacturer Rapp Motorenwerke based in Munich, the capital of Bavaria in southern Germany. Although the name of the company has changed, the technical equipment, resources and workforce initially remained the same.
When the BMW name was first entered in the Commercial Register in July 1917, there was no company logo. Similarly, the first advertisement of the same month also lacked the BMW symbol or emblem. In addition to aircraft engines, the range of products planned for the future also stood out: engines for cars, agriculture and boats.
“In the beginning, the logo and its meaning were not presented to the general public as they are now, because BMW did not have end customers,” explains Fred Jakobs. The main activity was the production and maintenance of aircraft engines for the German Air Force.
The new BMW logo
Usually, when a brand the size of BMW refreshes its image, it is accompanied by extensive publications, articles and booming premiere events. In this case, there is nothing but a short entry on the site. Still, I'll add something from myself. Structurally, the logo remains without tithes, with the iconic quadrants symbolizing the colors of Bavaria in the same size and proportions, the letters still in the same place. The chamfer and 3D effect are gone. It seems that the letters M and W have been styled and the biggest change is the loss of the black background.
I think the new logo is much more sophisticated and elegant. I like the effect of the transparent background, where in fact, depending on the substrate (car paint, mobile application, control cockpit interface) the whole sign will be presented. This is an additional challenge for designers and I'm curious how it will turn out in the wash. I'm also curious what about the other BMW brands, will they also follow suit and undergo a refresh? I'm mainly referring to the M-Power and the Mini.
BMW Senior Vice President for Customer Relations Jens Timer said the new logo symbolizes the seriousness and relevance of the brand in the modern digital environment. The purpose of the symbols is to attract the youngest customers to the brand, who are well acquainted with the “digital” world. And this is the right direction, this trend is seen in other players, where flattening, simplification and digitization are the main drivers of change.
