German automaker AWZ was founded in the early 1950s and amalgamated with Horch in 1958. In its brief existence, the company has only produced one automobile model: the AWZ P70.
Importance and context
The graphic branding for the AWZ company was brilliant. Its insignia, which was rendered in two tones of gray—a light silver for the main body and a deeper tone for the lines and details—was both refined and assured.
Both a flat version with white letters and extremely thin contouring as well as a three-dimensional badge were designed for the company, with the latter including a touch of blue hue to provide depth and character to the lettering and outline.
A simple circle with a double outline served as the AWZ logo. The distinctive monogram was positioned inside the smaller circle, with the wordmark around its periphery. The “A” was above the “Z” to form the monogram. The “A” was transformed into a “W” by bending up its bars.
The monogram was surrounded by a second outline, this one smooth and rounded to match the letters’ profiles.
The wordmark had the words “VEB Automobilwerk Zwickau Zachsen” written in a sans-serif typeface with a contrast contour.
It was a sophisticated emblem that looked great on the automobile and conveyed a feeling of high quality and attention to detail; when viewed in print, it gave off an air of mystery and artistic sophistication.
