Luxury automaker Infiniti is rolling out a global brand refresh across all markets that incorporates not just visuals, but also sonic and scent branding.

The Nissan-owned brand, which launched in 1989, is looking to evolve itself in a way that “supports our goal to elevate the signature Infiniti total ownership experience,” explains Steve Rhind, managing director for the automaker in Canada. “The changes set the stage for a range of new products coming in the years ahead, including a stunning new QX80 flagship.”

As part of the rebrand, the automaker is rolling out an update to its logo, which Rhind calls “an enduring symbol of our brand’s focus on the horizon and approach to forward thinking.” Working with Toronto’s Bruce Mau Design, Infiniti made subtle changes that better draw the viewer’s eye to the horizon as its focal point. The future QX80 will be the first of Infiniti’s production vehicles to wear the new logo as a three-dimensional emblem, Rhind adds, while a two-dimensional version of the logo has already rolled out across its owned platforms and communications.

But Infiniti is also approaching this refresh in an array of other ways, too, including a foray into sonic branding. In a nod to the brand’s Japanese heritage, Infiniti employs the sounds of a taiko drum, a furin wind chime and a humming female voice. The branding aims to embody Infiniti’s “Human, Daring, Forward” values, and will be employed as part of the end frame in marketing communications, according to Rhind, while also existing as a master soundtrack that “may be used for future activations and leveraged for in-vehicle sounds of the future.”

The brand is also paying tribute to its Japanese heritage with what it calls a signature scent, which is part of an overall “multisensory signature” it has crafted to better deliver the idea of luxury that its autos are meant to evoke. It was “crafted for optional diffusion in our retail showrooms and at Infiniti brand activations around the globe,” says Rhind, and incorporates the scents of Japanese cypress, cedar and citrus, all sustainably sourced and organic.

Finally, the brand is rolling out a redesign of its retail environments across the globe, Rhind notes. The new architectural design “sets the scene for a bright new era for the brand,” according to Asoko Hosino, executive vice president of parent company Nissan. It combines a minimalist exterior design that incorporates a distinctive eave along the roofline to control the flow of direct sunlight into the showroom, creating shadow. This is contrasted against an open and bright interior that provides a more spacious and seamless journey for the Infiniti customer.

“The redesign of our retail environment is targeted at delivering an even simpler, personal and memorable customer experience,” Rhind says, noting that it will be rolled out in a scattered fashion around the globe, with the automaker working with Canadian retailers “to ensure changeover time is mutually agreeable.”

Infiniti’s sales were strong in the first quarter of the year, most notably for its existing QX80 and QX60 vehicles, which saw a 129.5% and 47.2% increase over the same quarter in 2022, respectively. That sales growth lifted the Nissan-owned luxury brand to an overall sales increase of 10.7% versus the prior year. The refresh aims to continue this trend, driving deeper connections with existing consumers and possibly drawing new ones – while also establishing a platform for the automaker to market its new flagship and other future vehicle releases.

“We know that experiences are often more memorable when more than one sense is engaged, and in introducing our new, multisensory branding, we aim to create a deeper and more memorable connection with our consumers,” Rhind elaborates. “We’ve leveraged minimalist design, thoughtful hospitality in customer service and core elements sourced from Japan (such as ingredients and instruments) into our new, multisensory branding.”

Edelman handled the PR for the refresh in Canada.