Societe Generale is a brand of French banking and finance company, which was organized in 1864. Today the bank is one of the top 10 largest European banks and third-biggest structure in France.
Meaning and history
1864 – 2011
Their long-time emblem adopted in 1864 was a single square divided into two halves: red above, black below. Much of the middle section is also covered by a white line. On its either side, there is a word. These two words are the company’s name written in black and white letters respectively. They are extremely squat, use uppercase exclusively, and their font is an elegant serif style.
2011 – Today
Societe Generale boasts one of the most stylish and modern visual identities in the world’s financial segment. The Bank’s logo is composed of a wordmark and an emblem on its left.
All capital letters of the nameplate are executed in fine lines of the sans-serif typeface, which is similar to the Media Gothic font. The wide rounded lettering of the Societe Generale wordmark is balanced by the strict geometrical emblem.
The Societe Generale emblem is a square, which is horizontally divided into two equal parts, featuring two different colors. The upper half of the square is red, while the bottom half is black. There is also a thick white horizontal bar in the center of the square.
The previous version of the Societe Generale logo comprised the same emblem, but the wordmark was placed inside, and the white bar was a separation line between two words.
The Societe Generale color palette, consisting of red and black combination and white as a secondary color, is a reflection of influence and power. The strict shape of the emblem represents an energetic and strong company.