For many in Spain, Hispano-Suiza had long been another word for a luxury car. Founded in 1904, the firm is one of the oldest car brands in the Iberian Peninsula and became famous for its high-quality vehicles with their chic, safety, and fuel economy, as well as its numerous wins in racing competitions. However, the brand disappeared after WWII, and it needed a really new approach to be revived. What is Hispano-Suiza doing now to be relevant in the totally changed industry, staying true, at the same time, to its historic heritage?
The main task of FutureBrand, which developed Hispano-Suiza’s new look, apparently was to reignite the historic marque. The project visually incorporates the patterns associated with luxury, like, for example, a monogram combining an “H” and an “S”, and more modern elements focusing more on movement (a part which was created in cooperation with Daughter Studio, a creative agency from Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, UK).
Revived, the marque is positioned as “an antidote to an increasingly homogeneous world”, based on three principles – luxury, rarity, and uniqueness. Emphasizing the brand’s iconicity, the manufacturer recalls that Hispano-Suiza vehicles belonged to some of the world’s most prominent people, like Pablo Picasso, Coco Chanel, Albert Einstein, and Paul McCartney.
For typography, the design team tried to combine the elegant SangBleu typeface with the dynamic Druk font. This visual black universe is joined by an intensive red color which is connected with the merger of Spain and Switzerland in the identity of Hispano-Suiza reflecting the nationalities of the brand’s co-founders. Besides the reference to both countries, this asset works well as a contrasting color.
The new concept of the brand comes to life under the slogan “El placer de pertenecer al algo único” – “The pleasure of belonging to the unique” – that can be connected more with a luxury company than ordinary cars. Hispano-Suiza’s first model in this new stage will be called Carmen, after the granddaughter of one of the brand’s co-founders, Damiá Mateu. And it’s her who was the main initiator of the revival of the marque.
The case of Hispano-Suiza is rather interesting as we see how a brand with a rich heritage is being reinvented. While the marque has been idle for more than 60 years, it is now going to be managed by Siqué Mateu family and Peralada Group.
