Buick News: Buick To Drop Name Badge Beginning in 2019

[William Maley]

The 2019 Buick Envision has an omission that no other Buick model has at this moment, the lack of the 'Buick' name on the back. At the time, we thought this wasn't a big deal. Maybe someone at GM forgot to put the name badge on the Envision. But this is a bigger deal than we first thought.

Late last week, GM Authority learned from brand reps that Envision will be the first Buick model to drop the name badge. Other Buick models will follow in the 2019 model year. Since then, Automotive News has gotten confirmation about this decision.

"It was a small running change that we didn't view as especially worth announcing to the world, but I've been pretty amazed by the interest in it in the past couple days," Buick spokesman Stuart Fowle told the publication.

Fowle explained the reason for dropping the 'Buick' script is consistency across marketplaces. Models sold in China don't have the 'Buick' name on the vehicles. Market research also showed "that 3 out of 4 consumers recognize the tri-shield badge as Buick without seeing the name."

"We are in the minority of brands that have their badge in addition to having their name on the back of the vehicle. It was like we were saying Buick on the back of the car two times," said Fowle.

Source: GM Authority, Automotive News (Subscription Required)

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[ocnblu]

Oldsmobile tried this just before they keeled over for the last time.  Lamebrains at GM management, trying to save 50c per unit.

[Robert Hall]

No point in spelling out the name with the badge there.  Chevy doesn't do it, Cadillac doesn't do it, etc...

[balthazar]

The German triplets don't do it, either. Frankly, in modern times, spelling out the name on a car is an anomaly. How this story gained any traction is a puzzle.

Edited March 13, 2018 by balthazar

[G. David Felt]

 I like them dropping the name, no need when you have the badge there.

[riviera74]

I guess this is not a surprise.  If Buick in China does not spell out BUICK on the cars and crossovers, I guess that would be brought here too.  Without China, Buick would be as dead as Oldsmobile (RIP).  I would like to pick up an Envision sometime in the next year or so.  That CUV may keep me from buying an XT5 in a couple of years.

[G. David Felt]

1 minute ago, riviera74 said:

I guess this is not a surprise.  If Buick in China does not spell out BUICK on the cars and crossovers, I guess that would be brought here too.  Without China, Buick would be as dead as Oldsmobile (RIP).  I would like to pick up an Envision sometime in the next year or so.  That CUV may keep me from buying an XT5 in a couple of years.

You will love the Envision, they are awesome CUVs. My sister is really happy with hers and I know it has made me a fan again. They are great roomy very quiet auto's.

[balthazar]

25 minutes ago, riviera74 said:

Without China, Buick would be as dead as Oldsmobile (RIP).

No offense, but I don't see any logic in this. Buick sold 220K in the US in '17- that's greater than a large number of other brands for whom no one talks about them going belly up.

[smk4565]

I think most brand don't write the name out on the back of the car, it is pretty common just to have a badge and the model name/number.  But you do wonder if GM is doing it to save $2 per car on a badge, because I wouldn't be surprised if that was a factor.  But like was said earlier, they don't write Chevrolet on the trunk of the Malibu.

[balthazar]

11 minutes ago, smk4565 said:

But you do wonder if GM is doing it to save $2 per car on a badge, because I wouldn't be surprised if that was a factor.

That's nonsense.
But since you mention it, I wonder how much mercedes saves by not writing out the model name on 2.3 million vehicles annually. After all, if a "BUICK' badge costs GM $2, such a badge from Daimler must cost $500 each, right?  'Priced Like No Other' ™

[G. David Felt]

I get the point of an export auto able to go to any market if they do not have to worry about having a specific badge on an auto. Buick on US bound auto's versus no Buick on all the rest, makes it easier to fulfill orders if your not having to deal with a Name or no Name on the auto. Makes business sense.

[ccap41]

Even if they did do it just to save a few bucks, so what? Nobody will miss it and nobody would have even known had one random person decided to write about it. There are so many variables in producing and selling cars that a couple bucks is actually a lot to save on one single thing like this. Granted, it's more like $0.30 but still. 

[ykX]

18 hours ago, ocnblu said:

Oldsmobile tried this just before they keeled over for the last time.  Lamebrains at GM management, trying to save 50c per unit.

They are not doing it to save few cents on the cost of the badge.  They are doing it to improve the image of the brand.

Edited March 14, 2018 by ykX

[FAPTurbo]

great plan! when they kill Buick in America next year, nobody will even notice the brand’s disappearance!

[balthazar]

Right after honda kills acura.

[smk4565]

13 hours ago, balthazar said:

That's nonsense.
But since you mention it, I wonder how much mercedes saves by not writing out the model name on 2.3 million vehicles annually. After all, if a "BUICK' badge costs GM $2, such a badge from Daimler must cost $500 each, right?  'Priced Like No Other' ™

Mercedes isn’t shy about badges, I think they almost overdo it with all the Bi-turbo and 4matic+ badges all over the place.

[balthazar]

I wonder how many motorists think '4-matic' means '4-speed automatic'?

[ocnblu]

  What is it then?

[G. David Felt]

8 hours ago, balthazar said:

I wonder how many motorists think '4-matic' means '4-speed automatic'?

Yea had to explain that one to the wife and a few friends who wondered why MB would badge their transmission and not have a 8-matic or 9-matic.  

[balthazar]

Same here- asked my wife one day driving behind  a slow-poking MB what she thought it meant and yep; she hesitantly guessed '4-speed automatic'.

[riviera74]

On 3/13/2018 at 9:51 PM, balthazar said:

No offense, but I don't see any logic in this. Buick sold 220K in the US in '17- that's greater than a large number of other brands for whom no one talks about them going belly up.

No offense taken.  I just simply surmised that when GM decided to spare Buick and kill Olds in 2004, China was the main reason for that decision back then.  Nothing more.

[balthazar]

That's what was said, but at that time I don't know if there was more than 1 model Buick built in BOTH markets... so there was little logistical reason behind that explanation I could see.

[frogger]

On 3/13/2018 at 9:51 PM, balthazar said:

No offense, but I don't see any logic in this. Buick sold 220K in the US in '17- that's greater than a large number of other brands for whom no one talks about them going belly up.

Wow, only half of what they sold in 2001, they have faded badly in the US but then they sold a lot of rental grade meh like the Century back then.  Good thing they sell 1.2 million annually in China (were a top dog there but have been passed by VW and most Japanese makes).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 15, 2018 by frogger

[daves87rs]

Um, this is an issue, why? More of a logo fan myself.......

[Drew Dowdell]

This is no big deal.  None of the Germans put names on the back.  Personally, I think it makes the vehicle look a lot cleaner. 

[Scout]

Maybe we will get lucky and truck makers will take notes. I'm not a fan of the HUGE lettering that has become a trend on the grill of pickups.  The tailgates often have it also but for whatever reason that isn't as bad IMO. 

[Robert Hall]

2 hours ago, Scout said:

Maybe we will get lucky and truck makers will take notes. I'm not a fan of the HUGE lettering that has become a trend on the grill of pickups.  The tailgates often have it also but for whatever reason that isn't as bad IMO. 

I've noticed it's been happening with car grille badges also..the newer Hyundais have huge H badges in the grille, for example.. 

[trinacriabob]

Well, now that the reason is stated, it makes "more" sense.  In the case of Oldsmobile, and it was with the Intrigue, the Olds badge was altogether missing in 1998, very small and timid in 1999, and back again in 2000 for the remaining few years.  In that case, the company wanted to disassociate this svelte new contender in a very competitive segment from the stodgy Oldsmobile image, not at all helped by the ad campaign "not your father's Oldsmobile."  (Well, my first car, and first Oldsmobile, was indeed that of my father.)  

I think most buyers do know what a logo signifies anymore, but having 25% that does not is still a sizable number.  In the case of Ford, they sport the oval but it contains the word Ford in their signature style inside that oval.

[Paolino]

I honestly don't care one way or another.  I mean, I'd prefer they update the "Buick" font, but not having it there isn't going to affect me.

[trinacriabob]

Just yesterday I got to visualize this.  There was a newer Envision in a parking lot.  The words Buick and Envision were very symmetrically placed and, for being a font that hasn't changed in a while, it's not bad.  However, I did notice that most vehicles are dropping dual names.  The change in the rear deck lid of the Sonata for 2018 shows this, with the letters of the word Sonata spaced across the rear deck lid. And, it looks pretty good.  It definitely separates it from quite a few Sonatas of the last few years.

[VenSeattle]

On 3/13/2018 at 12:55 PM, ocnblu said:

Oldsmobile tried this just before they keeled over for the last time.  Lamebrains at GM management, trying to save 50c per unit.

Yeah... But remember GM did this while changing Oldsmobile's styling to something unrecognizable to the brand, and at the same time GM replaced the Oldsmobile emblem to a completely different emblem/badge (a monochromatic and overly simplified side profile of a (not a) Rocket launching.) the combination of all three at the same time lead potential customers and existing Oldsmobile drivers wondering who made the vehicle and unable to determine which dealership to visit for more information. 

I would be concerned if Buick was also completely changing their badge but the article clearly indicates GM and Buick recognize the value and brand equity in the tri-shield. This is amplified by the fact Buick is in the process of phasing their tri-colored tri-shield badge back into their lineup as they renew their lifecycle.