General Motors debuted a new logo to convey the automaker’s renewed commitment to the production and sale of electric vehicles. The company is also launching a new marketing campaign to emphasize this commitment, while looking to compete with Tesla and other automakers that are launching new EVs on the market.
It’s been about a decade since GM last adjusted its logo, but this update represents the most striking change in the company’s 113-year history. The most obvious change is the use of a small “gm” in the logo, before using only capital letters. The underline was shortened to just “m”, in homage to the Ultium electric vehicle platform and battery recently announced by the company.
The blue square has been rounded at the corners, giving the logo a smartphone app look. Blue is used as an outline instead of filling the entire square, and the negative space in the “m” is intended to evoke the shape of an electric plug.
“This is only the fifth logo change in 113 years,” said Deborah Wahl, GM’s director of marketing, at a news conference on Friday. “And probably the most progressive thing we’ve done since 1964.”
A new marketing campaign will punctuate GM’s move to electric vehicles. Turning Point author Malcolm Gladwell was chosen as a spokesman for the automaker.
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As an umbrella company for a family of car brands, the GM logo is not as recognizable as some of its rivals, such as Ford or Tesla. For example, the new logo will not appear on any of its new EVs, from the Cadillac Lyriq to the GMC Hummer EV. As such, the new marketing campaign aims to convey the message of the company’s overall commitment to electrification, rather than selling a single vehicle.
GM has been loudly trumpeting its multi-billion dollar electrification pivot for months, while keeping an eye on the meteoric rise in Tesla’s stock price. On Thursday, Tesla CEO Elon Musk saw his own net worth surpass Jeff Bezos of Amazon, making him the richest man in the world. And today, for the first time, Tesla’s stock price eclipsed the combined values of GM and Ford.
GM has tried to convince investors of its own commitment to electric vehicles. The company recently pledged to spend $ 27 billion on electric and self-driving vehicles by 2025 – up from the $ 20 billion announced before the COVID-19 pandemic. GM also said it will launch 30 new electric vehicles worldwide, more than two-thirds of which will be available in North America.
GM unveiled two new EVs in 2020: the Cadillac Lyriq SUV, which is expected to go into production in late 2022, and the GMC Hummer EV, due in late 2021. But the auto giant was criticized for bringing vehicles to market too late , while other automakers are rushing to deliver their EVs to customers much earlier.
Next are two new versions of the Chevy Bolt, the automaker’s mass-market electric car that has been on sale since 2017. An updated Bolt and Bolt Electric Utility Vehicle were first announced on the automaker’s “EV Day” at the beginning this year and is expected to go into production in the summer of 2021. GM also said it would launch an electric Chevy pickup with a 400-mile range.