Mazda may be updating their logo, according to new trademark filings in Japan. The logo began circulating on Japanese social media on Monday after users unearthed it from the Japan Patent Office. It appears to follow the trend of “flattening” logos into a 2D design so that they can be better adapted to screens.
According to Creative311, Mazda has also filed trademark applications for this logo with the US and Australian patent offices. For comparison, this is the current logo, which represents the 3D chrome emblem found on the cars.
Like Honda, Nissan, GM, Volkswagen, Mini, and others, the new logo has had all lines and shadowing within the logo shape removed in order to be more flexible in the digital age (i.e., for use on screens). Infiniti seems to be one of the few companies bucking this trend and going more 3D.
Reactions to this logo have been mixed among JNC staff. Some of us dislike the plain look of the 2D logo. Others like its minimalism and resemblance to the very old “stacked M” logo used from 1936 to 1959. In any case, we don’t know for certain if Mazda is switching over. However, we all agree that the current “flying M” logo isn’t among the best. It certainly isn’t as cool as the atomic logo found on the original Cosmo Sport prototype.
Somehow looks Infiniti.
Pretty boring.
The logo has always been 2d, in order to be printed in black or white or whatever they needed, they just chose to use the fake 3d chromed version as their main one.
For the new one, they might be going to the “modern” flat 2d 1 color version, but the main difference is the change from a very rounded squarectangular logo to a squished circle one, and the center part of the V seems bolder.
The saddest thing of all this, is that they can cheese it up and make a light-up version to put on the front of the car.
I am actually curious about what will come out of this!
The current logo is a far better design than its predecessor the eternal flame, whose resemblance to a female body part helped quicken its demise. I personally like the M in a circle logo from the 60s. The ultimate version of which is the one you cited in the article, the M circle inside a rotary. The new two dimensional logo is bordering in the Infinity logo for me.
I’ve been more a fan of the toilet bowl logo. A more compact design. I can tell that if they release that new logo, it’s going to be a giant shape on the front of the vehicles.