Abarth Visual Identity Evolution
INSTINCTIVE REACTION
Embracing new lifestyles and visual languages while staying true to a cult brand identity. A study aimed at a graphic acceleration.
Bellissimo collaborates with the automotive brand Abarth, now part of the Stellantis group, leading a study on the evolution of the legendary Scorpion brand’s visual identity. The opportunity for renewal comes with Abarth’s expanding offerings, including its entry into the electric vehicle market at the end of 2022. The study approaches the project with a deep exploration of the brand’s visual heritage, guided by the curiosity and respect befitting a historic name.
Starting grid: the project returns to the racetrack to envision a more flexible way of using checkers.
Abarth has always projected a strong, confident, and sometimes irreverent personality, grounded in unmistakable values: heritage, performance, fun, distinctiveness. Bellissimo’s research builds on this foundation, expanding the brand’s reach to new audiences during a period of major transformation in the automotive sector. The work blends brand strategy with visual culture — not just a graphic design exercise, but the opening of a creative imagination that draws on lifestyle, fashion, and the codes of street culture.
The refresh is, in fact, a rediscovery and reinterpretation of the brand’s core elements. The restyling highlights the Scorpion, the checkerboard, and asphalt textures, combining them with striking photography — visual research is another key element of the project.
Through video and animation, the digital space becomes the stage where a more dynamic visual identity can fully express itself.
The Abarth universe now comes to life with greater energy and freedom. With its dynamic character, the visual system is especially well suited for application across all digital platforms.
The distinctive shapes of past models serve as iconic symbols within a lifestyle — and heritage retains its core strength.
The scorpion takes center stage. A symbol of the brand since its origins, it serves as a shared reference for the entire Abarth community — the official community is even called “The Scorpionship.” Here too, Bellissimo’s approach encourages greater freedom of expression. As both the brand’s icon and promise, the scorpion can appear in different forms and contexts while always maintaining its strong identity.
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