ooooIYKYK

If the name seems esoteric, that’s because it was meant to be. It’s not for everyone. In that, it suits the Audi brand that is its intended focus. The German automotive brand of the four rings has evolved over time, but there are themes that run strong – a forward-focused use of technology applied to lead in performance and safety, while setting standards with inspirational design at the same time.

It also endures with fortitude… but that’s a story for another day.

Audi isn’t about the egregious display of opulence, nor does it exhibit the most extreme display of performance. It can be those things, though applied intelligently in a way that is unexpected and often delivered with subtlety.

That theme inspired the name “ooooIYKYK”. The moniker itself is a visual representation, using a lowercase font to represent four rings or four driven wheels of quattro all-wheel drive – “oooo”. The latter part, perhaps more easily identified, is an acronym – “If You Know You Know.”

It's an inside thing. If you get it, you get it. Not everyone gets Audi, what makes it tick, what makes it so enduring, or what makes it so endearing to people who consider themselves aficionados.

I’ve spent several decades working in and around Audi. As a journalist focused on that brand specifically, as a contractor on brief occasions working directly for the brand, and as the head of their largest owner’s club. I’ve been inside their development halls where preproduction test mules are maintained, dodged prototype racecars in the pits of Le Mans and celebrating victories with the team aafterward. I’ve driven too many Audis to count, from the Iltis that inspired quattro to preproduction prototypes, and most every model in between.

That’s not meant as a brag. These experiences came with the job, and I was lucky enough to be in the path of those moments or seized those steering wheels when they came at me.

For me, this publication is the next act. I’ve published websites and forums, have produced a brand-focused print magazine and have modernized multi-national car club… all as a closely positioned ally to the brand. Each of these experiences informed me on what makes people care about that badge and those cars. At a time when the market seems to buy forgettable grey crossover appliances, engineers seek an easy button with EVs, or marketing staff just want to court influencers with big follower counts, I believe those passionate about the brand want more… and they need to understand how to exist and thrive even though those forces simply aren’t going to just go away.

The mission then of this publication is to inform, educate and entertain about the Audi brand in an authentic way, one agnostic of whatever technology or marketing directive is feeding the current key performance indicators (KPIs). It is to facilitate brand passion introducing everyday consumers to a much richer community of afficionados. It is to help from my informed position on the sidelines to move Audi forward in an authentic way, untethered from being a face for an owner organization or rigid alignment with corporate KPIs that distract from the mission.

Whether you are passionate about Audi already or are simply just curious, whether you work in the brand’s orbit, or perhaps brand affinity is something you’re simply curious about, I’d wager you’ve found the right place.

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Notice of non-affiliation and disclaimer

This publication is not affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with Audi, or any of its subsidiaries or its affiliates including Audi Club North America. All names, logos, images, marks, emblems, images and brands are property of their respective owners.