Ingolstadt, November 14, 2022 – Audi stands for Vorsprung durch Technik, for innovative mobility. A promise that the four rings aim to reflect through a progressive design. Now the vehicles’ characteristic features have been thoroughly reworked. In this interview, designer André Georgi and brand strategist Frederik Kalisch explain what it means for Audi now that its cars bear new rings.
The four rings are one of the most important identifiers of the Audi brand. Why the change now, right on the vehicle itself?
Frederik Kalisch: As a progressive premium brand, Audi targets modern customers who value high-quality design and attention to detail. There are really only two basic trends in brand presentation and product design today that express precisely this premium quality: That is, on the one hand, the loud and very bold, and on the other, the restrained, pure, and clean.
André Georgi: The purist approach is more in line with our philosophy. One readily apparent thing: Strong brands win over customers primarily through their products underlying substance and discreet identifying elements. At Audi, this has always been the case, and we’re now making it even more consistent. Our philosophy is that every detail must convey a meaning or serve a purpose. On the product, it is - above all, our four rings, unmissable on the front and rear of every Audi model, that make an Audi an Audi. We want our quality to speak through the design and the product itself. The new two-dimensional look gives our rings a significantly more modern and even more graphic makeover, although their geometry is almost identical to the former ones.