[1mm Financial Talk] 'Digital and Expansion' Drive CI Change Trend in Financial Sector

Shinhan Upgrades CI with 'Simple·Flat Design'... "Responding to Digital Environment"
Toss Growing Bigger with 3D Design Symbolizing "A New Dimension of Finance"

[Asia Economy Reporter Yu Je-hoon] A wave of corporate identity (CI) changes, which can be considered the symbol of a company, is sweeping through the financial sector. From traditional financial companies like Shinhan and Samsung, which are promoting 'digitalization,' to fintech companies like Toss rapidly expanding their domains, many are preparing new corporate identities through CI renewals.

According to the financial sector on the 19th, Shinhan Financial Group, which recently celebrated its 40th anniversary, upgraded its CI from the 1st as part of the group's 'Reboot (RE:Boot)' strategy. The new CI features a more flattened and clearer design of the existing elements: the globe symbolizing global reach, the dove representing hope, the English initial of Shinhan and the letter S representing the future, and the blue and gold colors.

Shinhan Financial's CI upgrade was carried out based on three elements representing 'Shinhan-ness': ▲Original ▲Simple ▲Vivid. First, to maintain existing brand assets, the symbols composed of the globe, dove, and S were retained. The previous three-dimensional logo had its gradient removed and was replaced with a simple, flat design. Additionally, the CI color was changed to a highly visible 'Vivid Blue.' The size ratio between the CI symbol and the letters was also adjusted to improve readability.

Shinhan Financial's simplification of the existing 3D CI to a 2D form appears closely related to the financial sector's recent acceleration of digitalization and mobilization. Due to the characteristics of display environments such as TV, monitors, and mobile devices, flat CI forms can stand out more in terms of visibility and readability compared to three-dimensional CIs.

A Shinhan Financial official explained that the CI revision was promoted to secure visibility and readability in mobile environments. The official said, "This CI upgrade aims to enhance visibility and readability in digital, especially mobile environments, and to prevent misuse. It has been applied to new branch signs and business cards since the 1st, but the existing CI will not be replaced all at once."

This trend is not limited to the financial sector. The automotive industry, which is rapidly advancing electrification and digitalization, has also flattened logos to 2D bases, starting with MINI, followed by global makers such as Volkswagen, BMW, Renault, and Nissan. In Korea, Kia switched its emblem to a 2D form in 2021 alongside its electrification declaration. An automotive industry official said, "In display environments, 2D tends to stand out more than 3D," adding, "This reflects the industry's trend toward digitalization and electrification."

There are also cases where CI changes were made in a different context. The representative fintech company Toss recently changed its CI from a 2D base to a 3D base. While the previous 2D logo symbolized 'easy finance like throwing a ball,' the new 3D logo features a twisted blue circle representing 'finance of a new dimension,' according to the company. Unlike traditional financial firms, Toss started as a digital-based simple remittance service and is expanding into internet banking, securities, and insurance, while targeting 'Thin Filers' (consumers with limited financial history), reflecting its growth path.

Samsung Group's financial affiliates, including Samsung Life, Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance, Samsung Card, Samsung Securities, and Samsung Asset Management, which promote the integrated brand 'Samsung Financial Networks,' have been using a brand identity (BI) different from the existing Samsung Group CI since July. The new BI excludes the oval symbol representing Samsung Group and visualizes a rounded and soft feel using lowercase letters and a friendly font.

The reason Samsung Group's financial affiliates launched the new BI is to create synergy effects among the previously segmented companies. They are actively working to generate synergy in the digitalization process, such as launching the integrated application 'Monimo' earlier this year. Samsung Financial Networks stated, "Through the new BI and CI, we added a young and flexible image to Samsung's existing trust and stable image, giving a sense of 'newness.' We will continue to realize the vision and will to enhance synergy and expertise among financial companies and expand the financial ecosystem."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.