GM redesigns logo for first time in 57 years

General Motors has previewed a new, brighter logo plus a slogan it introduces around the globe from today (January 11).

Following in the tyre tracks of Korean car-maker Kia, which has also just rebranded, GM's new logo and the fresh 'Everybody In' slogan have been introduced as the first step towards reinventing itself as a car-maker that will deliver zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion.

The new logo was overseen by expat Australian and former Holden colour and trim design chief Sharon Gauci, who for the past three years has served as executive director of global industrial design for GM in Detroit.

Curiously, GM says the new logo is designed to "evoke the clean skies of a zero-emission future", while the logo and slogan are claimed to target a new generation of buyers, accelerate EV adoption and highlight the benefits of the US car-maker's all-new Ultium platform.

Speaking of which, the lowercase 'm' in the logo, GM's branding experts claim, is a visual representation of the car giant's bespoke electric car platform, although the link with the Ultium platform is not immediately clear.

GM has already declared that it will launch as many as 30 vehicles underpinned by the Ultium architecture before the end of 2025.

Despite being freshened up over the years, the new General's badge marks the first complete redesign of the familiar GM badge since 1964, with the blue background uppercase 'G' and 'M' branding being used for almost 57 years.

“This was a project our team took so personally, not just for ourselves but for the 164,000 employees this logo represents," said Gauci.

"At every step we wanted to be intentional and deliberate because this logo signifies creative and innovative thinking across the global General Motors family.”

From early this year, GM says it will launch a new advertising campaign that will feature influencers who "defy expectation and represent all walks of life".

Among those who will feature are podcaster Malcolm Gladwell, professional surfer Bethany Hamilton (who survived a shark attack), fitness instructor Cody Rigsby and gamer Erin A Simon.

GM will also launch a new website called GM.com later this month that will include more information about how it will embrace electrification, improve safety and cut emissions.