Established in 1694, the Bank of England is one of the world’s oldest financial organizations. Recently, the institution has revised its corporate identity as a part of the “Digital First” strategy. According to the bank’s representatives, the new design has become more inclusive and understandable, meeting the requirements for modern communications.
The Bank of England is a central bank of the United Kingdom, and as such, is a central institution for the monetary policy and the monetary system in the financial sector. The most important task of BoE is to provide price stability for supporting the purchasing power of the national currency. Since March of 2020, the Governor of the bank is Andrew Bailey who previously was the head of the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority.
In a press release published a few days ago, BoE said that its mission is to serve the people of Britain. So it’s important for the institution to communicate as a bank. For this purpose, BoE updated its visual identity including a logo, brand colors, typography and much more. By refreshing its look, the bank is aiming to improve the availability of information on its activity.
The depiction of Britannia, the national personification of Britain, has been an emblem of BoE since its inception. Over more than 300 years, Britannia’s image was changed for several times. The latest iteration was presented in 2004 when her seat and eye gaze were turned to the right. This posture was saved for the new logo.
Remarkably simplified, the updated emblem features four changes. The pile of coins at Britannia’s feet was removed; the St. George Cross on the shield was replaced to the Union Jack, the UK’s national flag; the olive branch in Britannia’s hand breaks through the bordering circle now; the face of Britannia herself is more visible, expressing sovereignty and self-confidence. In addition, the brand color was changed to dark blue.
According to the Bank of England, the new “digital system of the visual identity” was developed by an in-house designing team with the involvement of some design experts.
