The decision to purchase a new vehicle is influenced by many factors: the cost of the automobile, the aesthetic appeal, and the functionality. It is also influenced by the branding of the vehicle.
Luxury brands can charge more for vehicles because people are willing to pay more for the name brand appeal. The identity of the car plays a large role in the customer’s feelings about the car (and eventually, their purchasing decision). Designing an appealing logo for your vehicle selling business, then, plays a large role in attracting and creating customers to your company. Below are tips on designing an effective automotive logo.
Add Motion in the Design
By their nature, vehicles are meant to move. They take us from point A to point B (and in some cases, very quickly). Reflect the smooth, appealing ride of your vehicles in your design with different visual elements.
Symbols associated with speed can be used to showcase motion. This logo includes a speedometer with its pointer in the “red zone”, suggesting an ever-increasing speed. The flames at the other side of the design also imply a fast-paced motion.
There are many ways to inspire motion in a design. You can use symbols displayed in mid-motion (like a speedometer or a car on a track). You can use angled text to direct the eye up or down, paralleling the path a car takes along the road. You can use curves above text to mimick the winding road, as shown in this design:
Visually Associate the Company Name with Vehicles
If there is not a phrase in the company name to instantly associate the brand with vehicles, you can use symbols instead.
This logo uses the outline of a car above the company name to visually identify it with vehicles. It uses the same colors (navy and gray) in the car design as in the text to further visually tie the company name and the company’s product together.
Symbols related to cars, such as wheels, a road, stoplights, and outlines of a car, can all be used to associate your organization with car sales. This design added a gear to their design, helping to associate their company with vehicle sales and repairs
Use Texture in the Design to Reflect the Texture of the Car
Quality cars are made from quality material. A sleek smooth exterior of a vehicle can get a potential customer’s heart racing with excitement.
You can play with these elements of a car’s texture within your design. This logo created the text of the company’s name with a crisp metallic texture, reflecting the shine of a new car’s hood.
You can even incorporate the same texture as in the design of the car in your logo as in the text of your logo to further associate the two, as done in this logo:
Providing a bit of texture in your design helps reflect the quality of your product, as well as add visual interest and variety to your design.
Play with Power Colors
People like buying powerful colors. Showcase the power of your vehicles through the use of power colors in your design. One common power color combination in the automotive industry is pairing black, red, and silver as done in this design:
Another common combination is blue paired with neutral colors, as shown in this design
Using power colors helps the viewer subtly associate your products with power. Blue is also a common color choice for a variety of reasons, from symbolizing dependability to inspiring a sense of calm.
To further symbolize power in your design, you can use thick block fonts (as both of these did). A combination of power colors and power text will showcase power to your viewer.
Designing a logo for your automative business is important to the success of your business. But getting a logo that is engaging without breaking the bank should not be a challenge. Creating a logo contest provides you with several options to choose from with minimal time and energy. To get started, simply fill out a short brief describing what you are looking for and get ready to receive great choices for your company.