You’ve probably noticed in the past two years or thereabout that Kia dramatically changed its logo to something which is far more… abstract. While that probably was done to give the Korean cars a more upscale feel, the end result is a lot of people don’t know those models are Kias. This was recently highlighted by Ashwinn Krishnaswamy on Twitter using Google search data.
Check out the Plymouth Superbird with a Hellcat heart here.
As Krishnaswamy discovered, about 30,000 per month have been using Google to search for “kn car.” When you look at the new Kia logo, it does look like a stylized “KN” so the abstract badge on cars is confusing many.
When you’re designing a logo for a business, you want it to be memorable and easily recognizable. While The new Kia logo does look more upscale than the one used by the company, it’s difficult to make out what it says, and that’s a huge problem.
Kia has been making huge efforts to shed its old image of being an extremely budget-friendly brand which offers incredibly cheap vehicles in every sense of the word. This is why the automaker has been pushing dramatic designs, more luxurious materials for interiors, and advertising which feels more like something you’d get from Lexus or Cadillac.
While most people probably figure out what a “KN car” is eventually, one has to wonder just how wise this new logo design is. Not that Kia should fret about it, but many find it to be over-the-top, just like the design of many new models, like the South Koreans are trying maybe just a little too hard. However, as time goes on people will grow used to the current logo, that is until the powers that be at Kia decide it’s time to take the brand in a fresh direction and they change it yet again.
Photos via Kia
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