Compact car brand MINI has a new 'minimalistic' logo

MINI, the car company owned by the BMW group, has unveiled a new logo, branding, and premium product strategy that it hopes will help consumers become more "avid fans" of the brand.

The new logo takes on a "flat" 2D design, which MINI says in a press release will offer better recognition value, adding: "The logo stands for itself, with no imitation of material or shape. This minimalistic approach stands out visually and cna be used in all sizes and formats."

Here's the new logo

And here's the old logo

Alongside the new logo, MINI has created a new brand typeface called MINI Serif, and a new ad campaign for the MINI Clubman car, which launched on Thursday. The launch film for the campaign will run with the strapline "go with your gut."

MINI explains in the press release: "The main reason for buying the Clubman is not a rational argument, after all, but one's own intuition. The campaign will explore new directions in its efforts to inspire customers and engage them in dialogue, concentrating on a few selected communication channels of particular relevance to the target group."

Overall, MINI says the brand refresh represents its "most significant leap in brand identity since 2001."

The brand overhaul is essentially a shift upmarket. As Business Insider has previously reported, the company has struggled to find solid ground in the ultra-competitive compact car segment.

MINI has previously said, to justify its premium push, that the premium compact car segment will account for 27% of all cars sold worldwide by 2020. However, it still faces stiff competition from the likes of the Audi A3, Mercedes CLA, and even BMW's own 2-Series.

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