A NEW ETHOS TO REPLACE MYTHOS
A griffin is the king of mythical beasts. It has the legs of a lion and the head of an eagle. But for an automobile manufacturer that declared bankruptcy, it may not have been the most appropriate emblem.
Saab, which is now run by National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS), lost its iconic griffin-and-crown logo when NEVS failed to purchase the rights to the logo. The acquisition has allowed NEVS access to the intellectual property rights for Saab’s auto and manufacturing designs which it will use in conjunction with NEVS' electric powertrain technology.
This week, NEVS launched the rebranded Saab identity, which features a wordmark that can act as an image holder.
Stockholm Design Lab, which is responsible for the rebrand, says “The Scandinavian heritage will be present both in the design-development and visual identity.”
Though the griffin has once again ceded into myth, Saab’s reality features a post-bankruptcy opportunity for rebirth. Maybe a phoenix would have been more appropriate.