Changing Animals

2014 Emblem

Chevrolet Impala’s New Leaping Emblem

 

The 2014 Impala, Chevrolet’s new flagship large sedan, has a unique symbol in addition to the brand’s signature bowtie. It is the one of only two vehicles – the Corvette and its crossed-flags emblem is the other – in the Chevrolet lineup to have a unique emblem.

The Impala emblem is an enduring symbol of the nameplate. The Chevrolet Impala has worn the image of the leaping African antelope for which it was named as an emblem in some form since its debut in 1958. With the 2014 Impala, the

1994 Emblem

emblem evolves to complement the modern, athletic design of the new design of the car.

“We kept the stylized interpretation of the animal, and made the impala more muscular.  We also added defined edges, to give the impala a sleek form and make it look like it was running fast.” said Joann Kallio, lead creative designer for Chevrolet global badging.

The Impala emblem has a bright chrome finish to match the bright chrome of the car’s bowties, located in the grille and on

1965 Emblem

the decklid.  Special attention was paid to how the highlights flow across the leaping Impala badge surface, following the contour of the form of the impala, enhancing the overall appearance and illusion of movement.

There are two versions of the new emblem, one for each side of the vehicle so the animal always appears to be running forward. There also are impala logos stamped in the aluminum sill plates.

Changing a brand image is always a gamble, but in this case, GM pulled it over extremely well.

Source:
GM Media, "2014 Chevrolet Impala Wears Leaping Impala Emblem," April 4, 2013