Branding agency Landor Associates helps Citroen unveil new logo

10 February 2009

90-year old French automaker Citroen, now part of PSA-Peugeot Citroen alliance, is opening a new page in its history, with a new visual identity, new customer relations and a new line of products.    Citroën is presenting its new brand dynamic simultaneously in 34 countries.

Announcing the rebranding, Citroen said, "In a difficult economic context, and in a period of changing automotive uses and new relationships between customers and brands, Citroën is taking action and reinventing itself."

The presentation takes the original form of a film, shown on the birthday of its founder, André Citroën.

Citroen will draw attention to the re-branding with a four-day marketing campaign featuring a new strapline, 'Créative Technologie'. The campaign involves a brand-led TV execution and a press ad in the Telegraph split over two pages, which comes together when the broadsheet is folded in half.

The history behind the Citroen badge itself stems from one of the automotive world's greatest innovations, and one that is still used in almost every car on the road today - the helical gear. Prior to the advent of the helical gear, gearboxes much more difficult to use and were generally unreliable.

On top of this, they were noisy - making a heavy metal grating sound - and made the driving experience uncomfortable for both drivers and pedestrians. The helical gear changed all this, and ushered in the smooth power transfer between gears that are now featured in modern cars.