Wolff Olins Reanimates Lloyds' 330-Year-Old Black Horse as a Living Brand System
Wolff Olins has developed a fresh brand identity for Lloyds, the historic British bank established 330 years ago, inspired by the Cancara Philosophy, which references the bank's original black horse. An expert in equines contributed to the design, ensuring the stylized horse is anatomically accurate, enabling it to function as an interactive feature in customer interactions. This rebranding aligns with Lloyds' mission, "Helping Britain Prosper," now simplified to "Lloyds moves everyone forward." Following Suresh Balaji's appointment as Chief Marketing Officer in 2023, the brief emphasized a digital-first approach. The new identity incorporates a bespoke GT Ultra typeface and a color palette that revives the classic Lloyds green. Wolff Olins also provided a brand operating system for multi-platform application. A comprehensive case study is available.
Key facts
- Wolff Olins designed a new brand identity for Lloyds, a bank with 330 years of history
- The project centers on the Cancara Philosophy, named for the original Lloyds black horse
- An equine expert was consulted to correct the stylized horse's anatomy
- Classic horse movements were translated into motion behaviors for interactive use
- The repositioning line is "Lloyds moves everyone forward," derived from the purpose Helping Britain Prosper
- Suresh Balaji joined as Chief Marketing Officer in 2023, after which the brief was set
- A customized GT Ultra typeface draws on early 20th century British typefaces and renders dynamically
- The identity extends to a magazine, an umbrella, a hoodie and street-level OOH as a brand operating system
Entities
Artists
- Suresh Balaji
Institutions
- Wolff Olins
- Lloyds
Locations
- Britain
- United Kingdom