ABBEY: Abbey National goes soft and fuzzy

New: Abbey name (sans "National,") logo, and (it is hoped) more appealing personality.

Launched: September 24, 2003.
Died: February 25, 2005 (see Update, below)

Story in brief:
In 2002, a badly-timed foray into wholesale banking produced a whopping £984m loss, and a change of leadership for the UK's fifth largest bank. The new CEO, Luqman Arnold, has refocused on the retail consumer, promising to "turn banking on its head" by radically simplifying accounts and services. The September 24 identity change signals this "radical transformation in how we think about customers, talk with them and do business with them." Above all, it is a culture-changing signal to employees, because (as "customer director" Angus Porter has said) "this change is going to work from the inside out."

The logo design is unusual not only in its soft shading; it will appear either "in white or in one of four colours, which will be used interchangeably and in combination."

Credits:
CEO - Luqman Arnold
Identity counsel and design - Wolff Olins

First Impressions:
This logo adds new meaning to "soft and fuzzy." Granted, it is a step upward in friendliness, but perhaps a bit shy and (literally) self effacing. One still requires a bit of strength and solidity in one's bank; implementing this design to achieve the necessary balance of 'firm yet friendly' will continually challenge designers.

Update:
In November, 2004 Abbey was acquired by Spain's Banco Santander, who in February 2005 announced the rebranding of Abbey with Santander's flame symbol.