Tradition and Innovation Meet for Banque Saudi Fransi Rebrand
R/GA EMEA has announced that it has partnered with Banque Saudi Fransi on its new landmark rebrand to BSF, marking a new chapter for Saudi Arabia’s leading premium bank. Signalling the transition to sole Saudi ownership, the new identity and name reaffirm BSF’s Saudi roots and its modern outlook to the financial services and economic growth in the Kingdom. As brand design partner for BSF, R/GA was responsible for leading the brand strategy and identity for the rebrand.
R/GA collaborated with BSF to define everything from brand architecture and concept through to playbook and guardianship. Central to the work at each stage was the R/GA philosophy of building brand as an operating system, creating tools rather than rules, and ensuring that the brand is cohesive both on and offline. Being future proof to adapt and flex as the role of service and technology evolves in line with new customer demands.
R/GA also built a custom digital asset generator, which crafts unique patterns. Using typography, such as a client's initials or the new ‘BSF’ brand name, the generator creates patterns that distinguish lines of business, from personal to corporate to private banking through to assets for individual customers. These patterns can be used at a corporate level on everything from marketing to signage, and personal patterns can be applied to customer apps and credit cards, demonstrating true scalability and personalisation of the dynamic brand.
The patterns and new identity as a whole is anchored in a simple shape — the hexagon. Part of the bank's design DNA, used as the logo container for 48 years, the hexagon now becomes the signature graphic motif that aligns everything from grids to icons to illustration and photographic art direction as well as the new BSF signature personalised patterns. This simple geometry ensures all brand components speak in harmony and are distinctively BSF at any scale or medium.
“We’re proud to have partnered with BSF to create an adaptable brand that embodies the intersection of tradition and modernity. Always inspired by the bank's heritage while focusing on the future.” said Robert Northam, VP executive creative director R/GA EMEA.
“Having built trust and nurtured our clients’ financial potential, the brand evolution of BSF ensures we continue to play an expert role in the local and regional financial sphere, develop our global role as an advocate for the Kingdom’s economic and business evolution, and most importantly act as a business partner and a financial advisor to our individual clients — ensuring each can ‘make their mark’” said Hanin Aloufi, head of group marketing and corporate communications at BSF.
The cornerstone of the new identity is the brand purpose ‘We help every generation to make their mark’. As a premium bank offering everything from Personal, Private and Corporate banking in addition to Capital investment — the concept of ‘make your mark’ is an invitation to think differently about the role of a bank, for both clients and internal employees. The complimentary design language is just as simple, adaptable, and sophisticated. A colour palette of teals, mint and white is an evolution of the design language of the bank, typography and layout are minimal and modern, capturing the forward vision of the bank.
Inspiring each generation to create a legacy and positive impact that drives prosperity for the next, BSF plays a critical role to guide with confident financial choices, navigate change and be a companion at each stage of their customer’s journey. This level of tailored service and purpose required an identity that is truly hyper-personalised. Inspired by Saudi geometry, the identity is crafted to be sophisticated and dynamic, as recognisably BSF as it is unique to each customer.
