Recently received a message from the president of Union Bank announcing the launch of their new logomark. In a letter issued to customers last month, Union Bank President and CEO Masa Tanaka explained:
“With the change in our name, it was necessary to update our logo, and this gave us a wonderful opportunity to develop a look that underscored the values that we hold close.”
“The most important among these values is a singular dedication to serving your financial needs, which we have very boldly illustrated by adopting a dominant U in our new look. We hope you will always consider it your personal invitation to let us provide your financial solutions.”
— Press Release
My personal take on this new logo is that it's a departure from a bold and solid communication to a kinder and softer look that is trying to communicate that they are truly focused on you the individual. I am sure that Union Bank paid Landor and Associates, more than the GNP for Brazil to create the mark and the standards manual that went along with it, but I am not impressed with the mark.
This softer, rounder approach is a trend that seems to be catching fire and it's more and more common to see large companies adopt a warm, fuzzy approach to their identity hoping to catch some the "green" breeze that seems to be blowing through corporate america.
We just went through one of the most horrific financial periods of this generation and the last thing I want to see is my bank's logo softening up and looking like the local flower shop that specializes in tulips . Personally, I want to see my financial institution evoke a strong confidence that let's me know everything related to the financial meltdown is a thing of the past and we can look to a solid and bright future together without having to "hug it out" visually.
Just my two cents...
