British luxury carmaker Rolls-Royce yesterday announced in Doha its new brand identity, further modernising the marque and continuing its journey from automotive manufacturer to House of Luxury.
The event also witnessed Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Doha showcasing the Wraith Bespoke Collection under one roof for the first time.
The exhibition at the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Doha showroom, located at The Pearl-Qatar, will run until August 31 (except Friday).
Five bespoke Wraith models on show have a range of colour combinations and unique design features. Cobalto Blue and black outer body and inside is lined with contrasting Mandarin stitching and continued Cobalto Blue furnishings and Mugello Red leather interiors contrasted with the striking black edging enclosed in a sleek black body.
Arctic White exterior is continued inside and finished with the Mandarin embroidered corners to give an explosion of colour against a white background. Wraith Orange Metallic exterior complemented by the Arctic White interiors with Mandarin stitching is the most conspicuous of the Wraith Bespoke Collection housed at the showroom. Wraith Seashell with gold touches and dark spice and moccasin finishing exude sophistication and class.
“Take the Best that Exists and Make it Better” – since these words were spoken by the marque’s co-founder, Sir Henry Royce, Rolls-Royce has experienced evolutionary change, from the creator of the ‘Best Car in the World’, to the world’s leading House of Luxury.
The company’s products are today revered as exemplary examples of hand-craftsmanship, born from the finest materials and honed with masterful skill, while the brand and its illustrious figurine, the Spirit of Ecstasy, have become icons for the very best and truest examples of their kind. Rolls-Royce is a synonym for luxury.
In recent years, Rolls-Royce has experienced change at a quicker rate than ever before in its storied past.  
The Rolls-Royce portfolio has expanded to five models, each with its own distinct character, and almost every motor car created at the marque’s Global Centre of Luxury Manufacturing Excellence in Goodwood, West Sussex, is Bespoke – tailoured to the lifestyle requirements of diverse and discerning patrons.
The introduction of Black Badge has met the needs of a subset of these clients, answering their call for an edgier, alternative Rolls-Royce, one that carries an assertive and dominant persona. The age and demographic of the marque’s clients have decreased significantly to an average of just 43.
“As the marque’s digital presence increases, there has never been a more important time for the visual language of the company to reflect our standing as the leading luxury brand in the world. We have embarked on a fascinating journey of modernising our brand identity to echo those changes seen in our portfolio, our client demographic, their lifestyle and the luxury world that surrounds them,” Rolls-Royce chief executive Torsten Müller-Ötvös said in a press statement.
Rolls-Royce appointed Marina Willer, partner at Pentagram – a multi-disciplinary design studio which is revered within its field – to create a new brand identity that could move beyond the mechanics of being the ‘Best Car in the World’, to encapsulate the brand’s presence and standing as a true House of Luxury.
The identity was designed to appeal to the new demographic of clients and all that they represent both digitally, and physically.
“We needed to present Rolls-Royce in a forward-facing, fresh and relevant way – speaking to new audiences while respecting the company’s loyal clients,” Marina Willer said.
l The Spirit of Ecstasy
The Spirit of Ecstasy is an instantly recognisable, modern icon of British luxury. Having graced the prow of Rolls-Royce motor cars since 1911, today she remains one of the world’s most famous symbols, embodying beauty, luxury, style and perfection.
The Spirit of Ecstasy will now gain increased prominence in the marque’s brand identity. While the sculpture that leads each motor car in silent grace remains unchanged, an iteration of the enigmatic figurine has evolved into the form of an illustration – one that reads clearly in today’s virtual world.
The original figurine was drawn and sculpted by British artist Charles Sykes. In homage to this historical commission, Chris Mitchell, a leading illustrator of brand and identity icons, was called upon by Pentagram to envisage the distilled form of the iconic statuette.
“The use of the Spirit of Ecstasy marks a shift in the resonance of the brand – from an automotive to a lifestyle context. She commands an aspirational quality in the luxury sphere and by placing her at the centre of the visual language. The Spirit of Ecstasy can now be interpreted as the muse for the marque, in addition to the motor cars themselves,” Willer said.
In a nod to the Spirit of Ecstasy, a colour named Purple Spirit will pave the way for the future of luxury by becoming Rolls-Royce’s signature colour.
A metallic Rose Gold is chosen to complement this colour. This elegant and modern hue will be reserved for items of longevity and used only in printed form.
“Purple Spirit has a deep and powerful tone. It is a colour of modernity that evokes connotations of the dark and majestic night. It has an energy that conjures emotion with thoughts of strength and ambition – a tone well suited to inspiring greatness. This will be complemented by a foiled Rose Gold which will add elegance and grace to the marque’s printed materials,” Sami Coultas, Bespoke Colour and Trim designer, Rolls-Royce, said.
lBadge of Honour / Wordmark / Monogram
The double ‘R’ Badge of Honour is a timeless expression of true luxury. The badge, representing Rolls and Royce, the marque’s founding fathers, is known world-wide as a symbol of engineering excellence and the very best of human endeavour. 
The Badge of Honour will reside on the marque’s products alone – reserved solely for the precious creations born at the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood, West Sussex.
Pentagram uncovered typography in the marque’s archives from the 1930’s and used an art-deco style as the basis from which to envisage a new Wordmark – one suitable for the modern-day Rolls-Royce. The words ‘Motor Cars’ have reduced in size, with the emphasis reverting to Rolls-Royce, in recognition of the marque’s significantly wider influence outside of the automotive industry.
The Wordmark has become more refined in its appearance, depicting the quiet, whispering power of contemporary Rolls-Royce. Special significance has been paid to the letter ‘R’, to provide additional stability and prominence to this important character in the Rolls-Royce script.
Pentagram’s design team explored multiple typefaces in search of a font that depicts luxury, without being overtly decorative. The chosen typeface, Riviera Nights, stems from the same family as Gil Sans Alt, the marque’s previous font, but with additionally crafted and bevelled letters.
A wholly new visual treatment of the Spirit of Ecstasy has been created, called The Spirit of Ecstasy Expression. With an aethereal yet tech-like feeling, The Expression adds a cutting-edge aura to the new visual identity. Contemporary in appearance, The Expression speaks of the marque’s modern lifestyle presence.
Willer’s previous appointment for Rolls-Royce was to design an identity for the new vision of the Rolls-Royce Art Programme. Re-launched in 2019, Muse consists of two new biennial initiatives, the Dream Commission and the Spirit of Ecstasy Challenge.
Willer and team designed a distinct identity which captures the programme’s commitment to moving image art while linking it to the marque via an adaptation of The Expression.