Pirelli Unveils Chinese Logo

In June 2010, Pirelli launched its new Chinese logo at a ceremony in Beijing attended by automotive industry executives, celebrity guests plus Chinese and international media. Pirelli describes the event as a “truly historic moment” that serves “as a testament to Pirelli’s product superiority and continued commitment to the Chinese market.”

The new Chinese logo, Pirelli explains, uses long brush strokes and elongated Chinese characters to echo the famous, extended “P” in the global logo, and blends Chinese cultural elements with Pirelli’s classic logo. “Not only does the design’s vitality and energy reflect Pirelli’s ultra-high quality performances, it also represents Pirelli’s respect and value of China’s dynamic, growing market,” comments Pirelli.

Introducing the new logo, Giuseppe Cattaneo, Pirelli Tyre Asia-Pacific CEO, stated, “the Pirelli Group is renowned for employing passionate innovation. Through this Chinese logo, we hope to demonstrate our passionate pursuit of innovation and high-performance as well as the admiration we have for the Chinese culture. I am proud to present this logo as a bridge of cultural exchange between Italy and China and I am even prouder as I look forward to what the logo stands for: the great importance Pirelli places upon the China market and the continued efforts for our further expansion here.”

The Italian firm’s recent activities in China include the release of the Energy Series, its latest line of green truck and bus tyres. The low noise levels and high mileage capabilities position Pirelli’s truck and bus tyres as the champion of all green tyres. Pirelli reports it is also taking steps to implement more comprehensive and effective environmental protection technologies. On September 15, 2009, the Italian and Chinese governments signed an agreement with the Pirelli Group on the distribution of particulate filters to reduce diesel engine emissions. Pirelli’s latest R&D achievements will be applied in five Chinese provinces as the pilot solution to high pollution vehicle control. Additionally, the Beijing municipal government has ordered a large number of exhaust particulate filters from Pirelli Eco Technology to be installed on public buses.

Pirelli says it remains “strategically targeted” towards the Chinese market, investing in expanding production capacity, product localisation, network building, and the fostering of local talent. The company’s tyre products have earned numerous awards in China, including the “Recommended Tyre Brand” in the 2010 China Automotive Aftermarket Summit Forum as well as double awards at the China Tyre Enterprise Summit 2009, which named Pirelli’s first high-performance ecological tyre, the Cinturato P7, as the “Best New Tyre of the Year” and the P-Zero tyre as the “Best Ultra-High Performance Tyre”.

“Passion, Control, Performance, Power” are four words Pirelli uses to sum up its corporate culture. These ideals, the Italian company says, are being applied to its long tradition of sports sponsorship, including its sponsorship of Chinese football. With the signing of a three-year agreement in March 2009, Pirelli became an official institutional sponsor of the Chinese Super League (CSL), the top professional football championship league in China. In another step to further its’ support of the CSL, Pirelli organised a “Football Team Management Forum” on June 7th in Beijing. The forum was attended by representatives from Pirelli, the CSL, and the Inter-Milan to discuss Inter-Milan’s previous experiences in team management and the trends Pirelli and Inter-Milan have seen in their past collaborations and partnerships. The forum also aimed to draw these experiences into planning for the future development of Chinese football, further integrating the relationship and sponsorship of Pirelli for the Chinese Super League.