CommBank launches new visual identity
Commonwealth Bank has unveiled a new brand strategy and visual identity using a thinner font, five years after its major repositioning around the ‘Can’ proposition.
Created by M&C Saatchi’s branding company RE, the new identity sees CommBank drop the Aachen typeface adopted in 2012 by previous chief marketing officer Andy Lark.
The bank told Mumbrella it has been replaced by FS Silas Sans. (Updated March 2: The bank now says it has been replaced by a customised font family which is similar to the FS Silas Sans typeface.)
As part of the new brand strategy and identity, the bank has also unveiled an advertising campaign asking Australians to go to its website and tell it what matters most to them.
TRUST …. it’s an important word. Do Australians trust the banks? Do they trust the banks enough to let them even further into their lives? Do consumers want the banks involved in their life decisions? Banks … businesses that are making enormous profits whilst continuing to sell consumers investment products they don’t need and lend money to those that in an interest rate squeeze, can’t pay it back. Is there new research in the market that says otherwise? Yes, the world needs new ways forward but I’m not sure anyone feels like that direction will come from self serving banks. Nice update with the typeface though, much friendlier.
Comm Bank has a ‘new font’ – jolly good but is this really news worthy Mumbrella?!
Hi New Font Hooray,
While I do take your point, CommBank is Australia’s biggest banking brand, and brand identity does arguably get less attention than it deserves.
I, for one, will always remember where I was when I heard the CommBank was switching from Aachen to FS Silas Sans…
Cheers,
Tim – Mumbrella
OH MY GOD!
Earth-shattering news – a new font. Be still my beating heart.
So they have changed their visual identity by changing their typeface. What a ‘massive’ project undertaken by RE: The agency credits 1 MD, 5 creatives, a strategist and senior AD, head of verbal and a copywriter all to change the font. Seriously???
be nice if there was some rationale around how the refinements to the identity tie into a desire for a more interactive relationship with the bank… while the look is more modern, the tone and concept I think is a return to a pompous and paternalistic era of banking. I’d love to be on welfare, taking out my last 20 bucks and being asked about the Australian property dream. Or maybe the message is tailored to my balance. How to make $20 go further at Aldi. Intimacy at scale? Or asking pointless questions the bank can’t and won’t do anything meaningful about anyway.
Time will tell. By being daring enough to ask these series of questions, and bring these issues to the surface, I’m sure CommBank is intending to get a better understanding of how people feel about banks in general and then address them.
Plus a new font!
Looks similar to typeface used in same space by AMP, particularly in a few years ago when they asked “What will you look forward to?”
Royal commission now
Just Tim wanting to minimise the PR story for M&C. And make it all about the font. You’d be a gun at limbo Tim.
Hi Basically,
Why not take a read of the story? You might notice the brand identity work was carried out by an M&C sister agency.
Cheers,
Tim – Mumbrella
Fonts are brrt
I agree, can’t believe so many creatives involved to change the typeface. Good to see your bank fees are going to a good place. Not even news worthy. Go to Asia and see amazing creativity through public art, architecture and design. Australia is way behind in innovation, technology, design and about everything else.
Very retro. Coming in strong 3 years after the world agreed this was the most over used song…
http://www.huffingtonpost.com......_n_5455356
Go and live in China if you think Australia is so behind the times.