Halifax retains cross but ditches literature

Halifax kept its old-fashioned cross symbol as it converted to a bank this week, but used the ditching of its building society status to drop its old designs for banking products and customer literature.

The decision to retain the logo, (dating from the 1970s), was taken internally without consultation from a design consultancy. “There was a lot of debate about the logo but this isn’t the time to change it,” says a Halifax spokesman.

The logo has been criticised because its diagonal lines are difficult to transmit on TV without flicker. An update was expected but the spokesman argues, “the logo is incredibly strong”.

Langsford Corporate Design is rationalising the customer literature and has cut 60 primary brochures to ten (pictured). These feature lifestyle shots rather than austure product information on the front, and are designed to make information more easily accessible.

Chequebooks, passbooks and credit cards have been redesigned by Curious, and are intended to give the new bank a more confident image.

Curious has also rethought card products, adding the flag image and colour-coding its range. A kids’ banking range aimed at 11-17-year-olds is due out in whacky colours later this year. One colour has been avoided – red. “We didn’t want something which suggests bad credit,” says Curious creative director Derek Martin.