The financial industry is changing fast, with innovative fintech disruptors and a new generation of finance professionals bringing new boldness and new ideas to the table. To match that dynamic, stay relevant, and better connect with new audiences, it was essential for the BNY Mellon brand to follow suit: by reassessing every aspect of the brand system with the goal of infusing newfound modernity, digital fluency, boldness and flexibility.

At the same time, it was equally important that the changes we made continue to reflect that trusted legacy relied on by clients. And so from a strategic standpoint, this brand refresh was very much a balancing act: to change the face of the brand, while preserving the soul.

We didn’t get to be the oldest bank in the country by acting like the oldest bank in the country. The truth behind BNY Mellon’s centuries of success is very much a story of innovation, bold moves, and a forward vision both for the industry and the world. All of which made the big idea for this brand refresh less of a revelation, than a simple, profound imperative:

Tell that truth. From the bottom up and across the system, we resolved to put everything on the table and let the best ideas win in our effort to create a system that finally told our full story—and importantly, gave our people the tools and inspiration they need to express their vision, and write the next chapter.

As we embarked on this brand refresh, we looked at every detail:

Broadening and deepening our color palette to unlock a broader spectrum of expression and moods. Expanding our typographic library to add a few octaves of emotional range and resonance to our brand voice. Carefully choosing patterns and graphic elements to create new options for contemporary layouts and storytelling across mediums. And through tweaks to our photographic approach and introduction of a duotone treatment for portraiture, the modernity that’s always been core to the brand stepped into center stage.

We thought deeply about how the elements worked together: making sure that every move complemented and amplified the others, creating change that is clear and in service of a holistic vision.

The end result? A thoroughly reworked brand system—bold, modern, flexible, and true to the times, and to the identity that has set us apart since day one.

The new brand look and feel went live in March ’23, transforming our brand experience across the communications ecosystem and yielding some gratifying YoY upticks in key engagement stats:

- 67% increase in site visits from 2022-2023

- 177k+ unique site visitors over prior year

- 57% uptick in organic social

Additionally, the new system helped us continue our strong brand momentum relative to the overall financial industry (banks/insurance/corporations), with the following increases measured over a two-year period from 2021-2023:

- +8 global brand equity

- +5 awareness

- +6 consideration

- +5 recommendation