We are better together
The project:
In 2022, we began the work of re-evaluating and updating the brand and marketing content of Landsbankinn. The goal was to clearly demonstrate the role Landsbankinn plays in Icelandic society as a first class sophisticated and responsible financial institution. To show that Landsbankinn, now more than ever, is the Bank of all Icelanders.
Project outcomes:
Currently being analyzed
Our role:
The analysis
Landsbanki Íslands is one of the pillars of Icelandic financial life and one of the largest companies in the country. It enjoys the trust and respect of the public and has been the top financial institution in Ánægjuvogin (Approval Index), which measures the attitudes of the public and customers towards Icelandic companies.
In 2023, work was done in close cooperation with the marketing department of Landsbankinn to update the bank’s brand and marketing materials in order to clearly demonstrate the bank’s societal importance, showing that it provides its customers with comprehensive financial services in a sophisticated manner and works positively and constructively with the community it operates in.
The goal was to strengthen the Landsbanki brand in order to cement its status in the Icelandic psyche as an integral part of what it means to be Icelandic in the broadest sense of the term.
The team
Benedikt
Consultant
Eysteinn
Art director
Geir
Creative director
Arnar
Designer
The strategy
In this project, it was important to keep in mind that it was not about “rebuilding” the brand, but rather about updating and finding new ways to approach customers and the public. The appearance of companies changes along with their strategies, and the goal was to place greater emphasis on the characteristics of the bank that are warmer, more human, and more diverse.
No U-turns were on the cards however, as there was no need for them.
Landsbanki has been the “Bank of all Icelanders” for decades, and part of the team’s work was to better understand and define what that entails. Such a bank meets its customers where they are and adapts to their needs and desires. It creates space for complexity and variety of lifestyles and choices.
“The Bank of all Icelanders” should be ingrained in Icelandic culture and reflect what it means to be Icelandic in all its diversity. It should serve everyone who identifies as Icelandic, lives in Iceland, or has strong connections to the country.
The execution
The Landsbankinn brand was adjusted to better convey the bank’s human perspective, with a warmer and more colorful approach, creating an informal world where customers and their real daily lives take center stage. The basic design was altered to better fit various manifestations and channels found on digital and traditional media, both static images and moving pictures.
The imagery in the marketing content was brought closer to reality. Photography would naturally remain professional and the images aesthetically pleasing, but the emphasis was to be on capturing genuine moments in the lives of customers. By getting closer to reality in the imagery, we emphasize that it’s not ours to tell customers how their lives should be, but rather us embracing them as they are.
The headline “Við erum betri saman” (“We are better together”) encapsulates the goals of the project and communicates the sentiments we aimed for. It shifts the focus onto the customers rather than the bank, it is concise, clear, and sincere, and is motivating, inclusive, and optimistic.
