bmw

Logo Design | Visual Identity Proposal

Bavarian Motor Works dates back to 1917. BMW emerged from a renaming of the aircraft engine manufacturer Rapp Motorenwerke. The colors of BMW pay homage to the brand's Bavarian heritage. Blue and white are the colors of the State of Bavaria in Germany, home of BMW. The iconic blue and white logo is often mistaken to depict a stylized propeller, but the truth is a bit different. The myth originated from a 1929 ad that featured an airplane with the BMW logo in the rotating propeller. The ad was trying to promote a new aircraft engine that BMW was building and the interpretation fit well, as it underlined the company's roots and expertise in aircraft. This association gained traction when BMW embraced the narrative and made little effort to correct the myth. The propeller interpretation endured and became an integral part of BMW's legacy.

The objective was to create an iteration of the BMW emblem that reflects a heritage inspired and forward thinking evolution of the brand's visual identity. The logo's current blue hue was updated to a more vibrant blue, reminiscent of the Bavarian flag and the striking "BMW Zandvoort Blue". The designs were inspired by the different iterations of the BMW logo over the years.