Featured work
El Banco Deuno /
The new bank for the new Mexico. Accelerated growth, low inflation, a stable job market, expanding credit and liberal trade are the forces behind Mexico’s incipient prosperity. This in turn has led to the emergence of a confident, educated and demanding new middle class that left poverty behind in less than a decade. Stable salaries and a larger savings capacity mean the demand for financial services is naturally on the rise. In a sector where basic banking is still considered a luxury, where most banks are slow to adapt and where standards of service are still low, Banco Deuno was born to change this.
El Banco Deuno or ‘One's bank’: a symbol of the new Mexican spirit and a byword for progress, inclusion and optimism.
The logo is designed to function in multi-colour scenarios to be more expressive and break the mold of the traditioanl bank which typically lives in more rigidly contolled colour environment.
Banco Deuno is owned by IXE Financial Group, a group known for their innovative approach to banking and genuine commitment to providing the best service in Mexico. Saffron worked with IXE’s CEO and the new bank’s management team to define what the new bank should stand for in response to the country’s social and economical changes. The result was encapsulated in the phrase ‘the new bank for the new Mexico’: a symbol of the new Mexican spirit and a byword for progress, inclusion and optimism.
The bank’s logotype and main typography were both inspired by a pre-Columbian pattern found near Mexico city. It is a combination of the stone carved glyphs and the calligraphic quality from hand painted signage.
Banco Deuno looks and feels muy México. The secondary language offers a contrast to the letters and helps communicate different product offerings.
Banco Deuno is the bank for the emerging middle class with a business model that reconciles two seemingly opposing intentions: affordable banking and service quality.
A brand that could visually engage people not only in Mexico city but also in Los Angeles or Tokyo.
The name of the bank had to play an important role in expressing the bank’s democratic nature. It came from the combination of two Spanish words, ‘de’ and ‘uno’, meaning ‘of’ and ‘one’, i.e. ‘one’s’. Combined with the word ‘Banco’, the name reads as ‘one’s bank’—in other words, ‘my bank and everybody’s bank’.
The letters are also used as container shapes for communication elements or illustrations.
The overall experience of the brand is a contemporary interpretation of both popular and traditional expressions of the rich and idiosyncratic visual culture of Mexico..
In Saffron we believe design should be done responsibly by embracing diversity and respecting the nuances of the markets in which we work. A ‘glocal’ approach to design, if you will. We find inspiration in expressions of local culture and interpret them in a way that speaks the global language of design.
Banco Deuno looks and feels muy México. The colours, patterns and imagery chosen are a contemporary interpretation of both popular and traditional expressions of the rich and idiosyncratic visual culture of the country. For example, the design of the bank’s logotype and proprietary (bespoke) font were both inspired by pre-Columbian glyphs found near Mexico city.
The result is a brand that could visually engage people not only in Mexico city but also in Los Angeles or Tokyo.