KEY POINTS:
Gone are the stars of the Southern Cross, the gold chevron and even the venerable Bank of New Zealand name.
Because as from yesterday the Bank of New Zealand is no more.
The 150-year-old bank's logo is now simply the letters BNZ, in a blue, toothpaste style. The logo is being rolled out across 180 branches.
BNZ general manager of strategy and marketing Blair Vernon said it had been 20 years since the bank last made any major changes to the brand.
"Our customers have been letting us know it's time to make a change," he said.
"We wanted a less formal look to reflect the BNZ culture of today. At the same time we've shifted Bank of New Zealand to BNZ because that's how most of our customers refer to us."
Vernon said the old brand had been around a long time and people had an affinity with it, but it wasn't the only brand the bank had used in its 150 years. "The reality is the testing we have done suggested people didn't see it as reflective of the progressive, welcoming, warm friendly organisation we believe we are these days."
He said the warmth and approachability of the bank's piggies campaign created "a bit of a disconnect" with the formality of the old brand.
The cost of the new logo was confidential, but phasing it in over time was part of managing the cost, he said.
Getting rid of the New Zealand name was not a sign of changes to come with the bank, and the changing of the logo was in no way linked with the global financial crisis, he said.
- NZPA
