“Take the best that exists and make it better,” once said Sir Henry Royce, the co-founder of the Rolls-Royce marque. Since then, Rolls-Royce has experienced decades of evolutionary change, from the creator of the ‘best car in the world’ to one of the world’s leading houses of luxury. Its products have long set the bar for exquisite hand-craftsmanship, while its illustrious figurine, the Spirit of Ecstasy - which has graced the prow of Rolls-Royce motor cars since 1911 - has become an icon of elite luxury.
Now, however, with a vision to resonate further with a younger demographic of client and cement the brand’s heightened luxury identity, Rolls-Royce has reimagined its marque, set to be rolled out in September.
While the sculpture that leads each motor car remains unchanged, an iteration of the enigmatic figurine has evolved into the form of an illustration, one that reads clearly in today’s virtual world.
Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive, Rolls-Royce, commented, “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. 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."
The original figurine was drawn and sculpted by British artist Charles Skyes, with brand and identity icon illustrator Chris Mitchell called upon by leading design agency Pentagram to envisage the distilled form of the iconic statuette.
The keen-eyed car enthusiasts amongst you will notice that the Spirit of Ecstasy’s direction has changed from left to right, to represent boldly facing the future, while a bold new colour palette settles on a hue named Purple Spirit to signify wealth and power, and an elegant and modern metallic Rose Gold that will be used only in print form.
“What soon became apparent is that Rolls-Royce has evolved from being regarded as an automotive manufacturer into a leading light in the world of luxury,” says Marina Willer, partner at Pentagram. “It was essential for us to ensure that the brand's new identity reflected this shift. We needed to present Rolls-Royce in a forward-facing, fresh and relevant way - speaking to new audiences while respecting the company’s loyal clients.”
With further updates across work marks and typography, discover more about Rolls-Royce’s new brand identity here: www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com