GTI
The performance sub-brand, since 1976; VW's sporting identity, launched on the Golf.
Image Source: Volkswagen AG
Volkswagen
German mass-market automotive brand and core marque of the Volkswagen Group, defined historically by accessible, well-engineered cars for the broad middle of the market and currently by the transition from the combustion era to a fully electric line-up under the Way to Zero programme.
- Founded
- 1937
- Industry
- Automotive
- Headquarters
- Germany
- Ownership
- Public company
Key Facts
Brand logo & color
#03245a
Values
Approachable, high-quality and pioneering
Volkswagen Group-
-
R
The top performance sub-brand; VW's highest-performance road identity.
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ID.
The electric sub-brand, since 2019; Volkswagen's battery-electric family identity.
Brand Chronology
Volkswagen reframes driver assistance as parental instinct in The Parents (2026)
Volkswagen reframes driver assistance as parental instinct in The Parents
2026
Volkswagen and BBDO Paris release The Parents, a five-film campaign that maps Volkswagen driver assistance onto the everyday gestures of parents.
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Volkswagen reactivates Drivers Wanted in Super Bowl LX (2026)
Volkswagen reactivates Drivers Wanted in Super Bowl LX
2026
Volkswagen revives the Drivers Wanted platform in a Super Bowl LX film by Johannes Leonardo, set to House of Pain and shot in Houston.
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Oliver Blume becomes CEO, succeeding Herbert Diess (2022)
Oliver Blume
becomes CEO, succeeding Herbert Diess
Logo Redesign (2020)
Logo Redesign
2020
After a major rebranding, Volkswagen returned to a design inspired by its 1967 logo. The updated emblem featured thinner lines, a separated lower “W,” and a flat, minimalist style without 3D effects. The redesign reflected the broader industry trend toward cleaner digital-friendly branding and was introduced first in Europe, then in Asia, and later in the Americas.
Volkswagen new brand design: a flat mark for an electric era (2019)
Volkswagen new brand design: a flat mark for an electric era
2019
At IAA Frankfurt in September 2019 Volkswagen retired its chrome emblem and presented a flat 2D mark for the ID era.
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Herbert Diess becomes CEO (2018)
Herbert Diess
becomes CEO
Volkswagen retires Das Auto and lets the brand name stand alone (2016)
Volkswagen retires Das Auto and lets the brand name stand alone
2016
In January 2016 Volkswagen retired the claim Das Auto and replaced it with the brand name alone, a deliberate response to the 2015 diesel matter.
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Logo Redesign (2012)
Logo Redesign
2012
Volkswagen has approved a new logo with shiny metallic lettering. Due to the side stripes, they acquired volume. This version was first used in September 2012 at the Berlin presentation of the Golf Mk7.
Volkswagen and Deutsch LA air The Force at Super Bowl XLV (2011)
Volkswagen and Deutsch LA air The Force at Super Bowl XLV
2011
Volkswagen and Deutsch LA aired The Force at Super Bowl XLV, the most-shared Super Bowl spot ever recorded.
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Gene Kelly breakdances for the new Volkswagen Golf GTI (2005)
Gene Kelly breakdances for the new Volkswagen Golf GTI
2005
DDB London's 2005 Golf GTI commercial used a digitally reconstructed Gene Kelly, a Mint Royale remix, and the line The original, updated.
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Logo Redesign (2000)
Logo Redesign
2000
Designers updated the Volkswagen logo with a stronger 3D appearance to match contemporary design trends. The emblem gained a double-edged circular frame with layered outlines, a richer blue gradient, and silvery lettering that emphasized depth and metallic styling.
Pink Moon takes the Volkswagen Cabrio under the stars and revives Nick Drake (1999)
Pink Moon takes the Volkswagen Cabrio under the stars and revives Nick Drake
1999
Arnold's 1999 Cabrio spot Milky Way paired a one-minute nightscape with Nick Drake and sent the song's parent album back into the charts.
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Volkswagen Da Da Da: how Arnold tuned the brand for irony (1997)
Volkswagen Da Da Da: how Arnold tuned the brand for irony
1997
Two friends, a smelly armchair, and a Trio synth track: Arnold Communications gave Volkswagen its 1990s voice.
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Drivers wanted resets Volkswagen of America for a decade (1995)
Drivers wanted resets Volkswagen of America for a decade
1995
Drivers wanted, the Arnold platform launched in July 1995, anchored Volkswagen of America's advertising voice for the next ten years.
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Logo Redesign (1995)
Logo Redesign
1995
In 1995, Volkswagen returned to a logo based on its 1978 design. The main change was a deeper dark blue color, replacing the earlier brighter neon tone.
Ferdinand Piëch becomes CEO (1993)
Ferdinand Piëch
becomes CEO
Logo Redesign (1989)
Logo Redesign
1989
The emblem of that period was a circular Volkswagen logo with a blue outer frame and a wide white inner ring. The “V” and “W” letters were connected at the center on a light blue background, creating a colorized evolution of the 1945 design.
Logo Redesign (1978)
Logo Redesign
1978
Volkswagen redesigned its logo again to match modern design trends. The update inverted the colors, turning the previously dark elements white and the white areas blue. The palette also became more intense, introducing a bright cobalt-blue version with a defined outer border.
Logo Redesign (1967)
Logo Redesign
1967
During this period, the only major change to the Volkswagen logo was its color: the original black design was replaced with a sky-blue version.
Snow Plow carries the DDB Volkswagen voice from print into television (1964)
Snow Plow carries the DDB Volkswagen voice from print into television
1964
Snow Plow translated the DDB print logic of Think Small and Lemon into a one-minute Volkswagen Beetle commercial that took Cannes Gold.
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Lemon turns a rejected Beetle into a print advertising touchstone (1960)
Lemon turns a rejected Beetle into a print advertising touchstone
1960
Lemon, a single-word DDB headline for a rejected Beetle, became the print companion to Think Small and a Creative Revolution touchstone.
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Logo Redesign (1960)
Logo Redesign
1960
In 1960, Volkswagen redesigned its emblem with a more geometric appearance. The colors were inverted, turning white areas black and black areas white. The outer border was removed, and all lines were standardized to the same thickness, creating a cleaner and more balanced design.
Volkswagen and Doyle Dane Bernbach introduce Think Small for the Beetle (1959)
Volkswagen and Doyle Dane Bernbach introduce Think Small for the Beetle
1959
Volkswagen and Doyle Dane Bernbach launched Think Small, the print campaign Ad Age later ranked the best of the 20th century.
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Logo Redesign (1948)
Logo Redesign
1948
The updated Volkswagen logo continued the earlier design with several refinements. The emblem returned to a monochrome black-and-white style, while the outer border became thicker. Designers also connected the legs of the “W” to the circle and moved the “V” closer, giving the symbol a more compact and unified appearance.
Logo Redesign (1945)
Logo Redesign
1945
After World War II, Volkswagen redesigned its emblem to distance the brand from its wartime associations. The black cogwheel and angular details were removed, replaced by a beige circle with dark brown edging and matching lettering. The upper part of the “V” connected to the outer ring, while the “W” remained separate. A red background was also introduced, giving the logo a warmer and less militaristic appearance.
Logo Redesign (1939)
Logo Redesign
1939
Before World War II, Volkswagen revised its logo to remove elements associated with Nazi symbolism. The redesign retained the central initials and gear wheel but adopted a more practical, industrial appearance. The updated emblem emphasized engineering and technical identity rather than political associations, giving the brand a stronger automotive character.
Founded
1937Volkswagen was founded in 1937 under the German Labour Front to build Ferdinand Porsche's affordable people's car, made in the plant that became Wolfsburg.