The Evolution and Meaning of the Mercedes-Benz Logo

A few words about the creation of Mercedes-Benz

Where exactly is Mercedes-Benz from? Mercedes-Benz was officially established in 1926 from three existing companies: Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft which mainly produced engines, Mercedes, a major dealership, and Benz which was also a car manufacturer. Over time, these three companies would combine their inventions to create various prototypes, including quality cars, motorcycles, buses, and trucks. It should be noted that the story of how Mercedes-Benz got started is similar to that of Audi: a merger between four companies, hence the four rings.

How why did they choose Mercedes as their company name? It is simply the name of the daughter of the founder Emil Jellinek.

The first Mercedes and Mercedes-Benz logos

The first Mercedes logo predates the merger with Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft and Benz. From 1902 to 1909, the company opted for a badge logo that  looked a bit like the Ford logo. The name of the company was written in white capital letters on a black background. 

Then, in the following years, there was an agreement made between Mercedes and Daimler. In 1909, the famous symbol appeared, which would remain the emblem of the company during the next few decades: the three-pointed star. The symbol was created by Daimler himself. The star was there to represent excellence and perfection. It also represented the air, sea and land. The name Mercedes was written in gold and the main shape changed to a circle.

When Mercedes-Benz was founded in 1926, the company was greatly inspired by the Mercedes logo for their redesign. They kept the three-pointed star, the symbol from Daimler, which in addition to representing luxury gave a nod to the merger of the three companies. Benz and laurel leaves were added to a blue background. However, this logo would only be used for a few years.

The evolution of Mercedes-Benz logos

In the 1930s, Mercedes-Benz redesigned their logo. Everything was simplified. Several components disappeared including the name of the company and the laurel branches. All that remained was the three-pointed star surrounded by a circle, all in 2D. Mercedes-Benz would use this logo for almost 60 years, which is no small feat!

It was finally in 1989 that Mercedes-Benz came out with a new logo. This time, it was a combination mark logo. A logo that was the famous symbol and the name of the company in a serif font. Everything was silver, except for the text which was black. Like many other car manufacturers at that time, Mercedes-Benz relied on a 3D look that brought texture and depth. 

Except for a few minor changes in recent years, like the thickness of the circle, Mercedes-Benz continues to use the same logo.

What does the future hold?

Nowadays, Mercedes-Benz no longer needs an introduction. This is a brand known throughout the world. That is why, most of the time, the company uses only the symbol part of their logo. However, it is important to mention that several other automakers have made major redesigns of their logo in recent years. Most of the time, they opted for a simplified version of their emblem.

In our view, there's a good chance Mercedes-Benz will set aside the 3D effect of their current logo for a redesign that looks more like their 1930s logo. This logo could work very well nowadays since it is representative, simple, but above all flexible. This version can be displayed on vehicles as well as on the web. There is also the trend of taking inspiration from old logos during redesigns. In short, for the moment, Mercedes-Benz has not announced a rebranding. However, we think that this German manufacturer may decide to return to their old logo in the future. Only time will tell!

How to get inspired by the Mercedes-Benz logo

The Mercedes-Benz logo can most certainly be a source of inspiration when creating your logo. First, let's talk about the creation of the company. Mercedes-Benz perfectly used symbols from the three founding companies when it came time to create a logo. If your business undergoes a major change like a merger, it might be worth thinking about a logo redesign.

Then, the company quickly stood out since they were able to use a strong and unique symbol, the three-pointed star. For Daimler, this symbol represented his company's values, which is still the case today.

Finally, Mercedes-Benz has always wanted to position themselves as a manufacturer of luxury cars. They took this into account when creating different components of their brand, whether for the choice of color or font. All these little pieces create a brand image that sends the right message.

In conclusion, what do you think of the Mercedes-Benz logo? Do you think they will keep the current version for a long time or do like other car manufacturers and choose a more modern and simplified version? Regardless, Mercedes-Benz can count on a strong brand image as long as the three-pointed star symbol is present.

Would you like to discover other articles on automotive brand logos? Then take a look at FreeLogoDesign's blog. Enjoy reading!