After monumental errors, nosediving share prices and the humiliation of nationalisation, the banking world has changed forever. So will their corporate identities, marketing and advertising adapt to fit the new realities?

It might seem that logos, commercials and colour schemes should be the last thing to occupy the banks right now, but surely campaigns and brands developed for a very different time (ie before last week) can no longer be appropriate? Ever since the early 90s, banks have been attempting to project a friendlier, less formal image. (In fact I was involved in the early 90’s of the Scottish Widows rebranding and seen this first hand – affectionately we christened this ‘the propeller’). Heraldic devices and serif type were ditched in favour of rounded edges and updated typography. It was all about innovation and modernity as banks started to project themselves as dynamic global brands, reflecting a shift in their management style and business aims.

So what happens now? In the UK, Royal Bank of Scotland, HBOS and Lloyds TSB have had to be baled out and part nationalised. Similar schemes have been introduced throughout Europe and in the US. The way we think of these institutions has changed completely. Instead of projecting themselves as friendly, casual, everything on a first-name basis, (Howard and the Halifax..) perhaps we’d like them to start acting a little more like they actually know what they’re doing? A bit more sober? A little more buttoned-up rather than dressed-down? I came across a great quote from Landor which explains. ‘Unfortunately this spirit of “innovation” is now more typically characterised as reckless risk-taking.”

Dynamism, innovation, modernity - these aren’t messages that we really want to hear from our banks at the moment and as we have a few live FS briefs in the studio at the moment, EC Design and Marketing are keeping our eyes open and ears to the ground so we understand this complex issue and overnight market shift.

Our banking institutions need to re-establish trust and confidence. Time to bring back the pin-stripes, PMS Blue 280 and the heraldry type logos?

I don’t think I want Howard to be my friend any more…