Adrenaline’s CXO interviewed for her branding expertise as SunTrust + BB&T successor unveils its new logo
Tuesday, January 21, 2020 – In the new AJC article “SunTrust Successor Truist Rolls Out New Purple Brand Design and Logo” from Atlanta’s daily newspaper, Adrenaline’s CXO Gina Bleedorn applies her branding acumen to the latest unveiling from the former hometown brand. After what could be described as a bumpy rollout full of consumer and industry pushback following a new name reveal this summer, Truist certainly had its work cut out for itself in revealing its new brand identity and color story to consumers.
Combining SunTrust’s blue and BB&T’s burgundy for a distinctive purple, Gina says, “They can own this color.” Given that the color scheme is rarely used by banks or financial services companies, Gina says the use of a purple hue should give them a nice advantage. Having worked with many banks and credit union brands, Gina knows firsthand that a purple palette carries some weight. She says, “Purple, psychologically, makes you think of wisdom, or maybe power and royalty.”
A little less auspicious, Gina finds the logo needs more narrative around it to make it more meaningful to consumers. On the spare nature of the insignia, Gina says, “Truist has some storytelling to do to give it some personality.” Focused on differentiation in the digital space, the logo was “clearly designed to be distinctive among the app icons on consumers’ smartphones.” Using a logo that somewhat favors other retail brands, Gina thinks the similarity might have been intentional, to evoke a feeling of familiarity.
To explore of all of Gina’s insights, visit the AJC’s analysis of the Truist brand’s color and logo reveal, as well as their article on the consumer reception of the initial name launch. In addition to this hometown coverage, Gina’s insights about the Truist brand will soon be featured in the industry-leading publication The Financial Brand as they follow up on their commentary about the Truist brand name.
To learn more about meaningful branding and consumer experiences, contact our brand experts at info@adrenalinex.com.
Adrenaline is an experience design agency that creates and implements end-to-end branded experiences through creative and environmental design. We enhance our clients’ customer experiences across digital and physical channels, from their branding and advertising to design and technology in their spaces. After transforming an organization’s brand, Adrenaline extends it across all touchpoints — from employees to the market to in-store environments. And, we focus on serving industries that sell human experiences including financial, healthcare, sports and entertainment.
