Where past and future meet.
The Brief
Banco del Austro, founded in the historic city of Cuenca in southern Ecuador, has long been a trusted financial institution, known for its strong community ties and dedication to local values. As the main supporter of small businesses and the primary bank handling money transfers from Ecuadorians abroad, it helps empower the local entrepreneurs and families. Additionally, through its sponsorship of the local soccer team, Deportivo Cuenca, the bank reinforces its role as a pillar of community pride and engagement.
As the bank’s goals grew and market demands evolved, its previous monogram logo no longer reflected its vision. To address this, Banco del Austro partnered with the design team at Y&R to create a refreshed identity.
Banco del Austro, founded in the historic city of Cuenca in southern Ecuador, has long been a trusted financial institution, known for its strong community ties and dedication to local values. As the main supporter of small businesses and the primary bank handling money transfers from Ecuadorians abroad, it helps empower the local entrepreneurs and families. Additionally, through its sponsorship of the local soccer team, Deportivo Cuenca, the bank reinforces its role as a pillar of community pride and engagement.
As the bank’s goals grew and market demands evolved, its previous monogram logo no longer reflected its vision. To address this, Banco del Austro partnered with the design team at Y&R to create a refreshed identity.
The Strategy
Thanks to extensive marketing research from the BAV Group, it became clear that the new brand needed to emphasize the bank's tradition and trustworthiness without feeling outdated. The design team understood the importance of honoring the institution’s heritage, of Cuenca, its people and culture, but to craft a brand with a compelling story to tell, we needed more than tradition – we had to confidently look toward the future.
Thanks to extensive marketing research from the BAV Group, it became clear that the new brand needed to emphasize the bank's tradition and trustworthiness without feeling outdated. The design team understood the importance of honoring the institution’s heritage, of Cuenca, its people and culture, but to craft a brand with a compelling story to tell, we needed more than tradition – we had to confidently look toward the future.
The Concept
Guided by insights and keywords derived from the BAV research, we arrived to the core concept “Where I come from. Where I’m going.”. A simple and straight concept that represents how the bank’s heritage could shake hands with its future aspirations.
Guided by insights and keywords derived from the BAV research, we arrived to the core concept “Where I come from. Where I’m going.”. A simple and straight concept that represents how the bank’s heritage could shake hands with its future aspirations.
The Process
Early on it all began with weeks of free hand sketches that transitioned to more refined digital variations. We applied iterative design continuously testing and refining our designs based on feedback gathered through focus groups, which allowed us to gather opinions directly from the bank’s target audience. This cycle of sketching, refinement and testing helped us perfect the work, resulting in a solution that honors Banco del Austro’s legacy while positioning it for the future. This approach ensured the final design met the needs of an evolving market and advancing digitalization in banking.
Early on it all began with weeks of free hand sketches that transitioned to more refined digital variations. We applied iterative design continuously testing and refining our designs based on feedback gathered through focus groups, which allowed us to gather opinions directly from the bank’s target audience. This cycle of sketching, refinement and testing helped us perfect the work, resulting in a solution that honors Banco del Austro’s legacy while positioning it for the future. This approach ensured the final design met the needs of an evolving market and advancing digitalization in banking.
The New Brand
The chosen design represents direction and movement thanks to two bold, intertwined arrows.
The chosen design represents direction and movement thanks to two bold, intertwined arrows.
Inspired by the vibrant red and gold hues associated with the city of Cuenca, we introduced these new colors to capture the balance of past and future. The new text is more friendly all lowercased and remains in blue to convey trust and stability.
We decided to bet on emphasising austro, symbolizing the southern region and its people, while "banco del" takes a more understated role. This choice reflects the bank’s dedication to adding value to the community it serves, placing regional pride above the institution itself.
The result is a modern logo that acts as a bridge between tradition and progress, embodying Banco del Austro's vision.
The Brand System
Several design elements were developed to form the core of the brand structure.
Several design elements were developed to form the core of the brand structure.
A comprehensive brand manual was created, providing clear guidelines for the use of the color palette, typography, and iconography. To enhance brand recognition and adapt to the demands of modern media, we designed a range of assets, including key visuals, merchandising materials, corporate stationery, wallpapers, app interfaces and social media templates.
Additionally, photo shoots and a TV commercial were produced to introduce the new brand to the public. These elements were crafted and implemented to multiply creative options and ensure consistency in the brand identity across all platforms.
The Iconography
The Manifesto (please, check subtitles options)
Video unveiling the new brand for the public, capturing Banco del Austro’s journey and commitment to evolving while remaining connected to its roots.
Video unveiling the new brand for the public, capturing Banco del Austro’s journey and commitment to evolving while remaining connected to its roots.
The Arrows
The intertwined arrows extend beyond the logo, functioning as dynamic graphic elements that enrich layouts by highlighting key actions, people or products. The crimson arrow always appears behind the subject, symbolizing the past, while the golden arrow partially overlays the subject, representing the future. This interaction visually reinforces the brand's narrative of connecting heritage with forward-thinking aspirations.
Offline Applications
Online Applications
The Agencies
Club Deportivo Cuenca Jersey's
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Banco del Austro Client
Y&R Ecuador Agency
Germán Andrade Creative Director / Brand Strategy
Marcelo Feitosa / Leonardo Zambrano Art Director / Designer
Boris Calle / Christian Caceres Copywriting
Ana Maria Procel / Thalia Román / Mario Sanchez Account Executive
Titan Production Company
Israel Delgado / Alexander Places Film Direction
Ere Studio / Andrés Ruilova Photography
BAV Group Consultancy
Señal X Branding Implementation
Y&R Ecuador Agency
Germán Andrade Creative Director / Brand Strategy
Marcelo Feitosa / Leonardo Zambrano Art Director / Designer
Boris Calle / Christian Caceres Copywriting
Ana Maria Procel / Thalia Román / Mario Sanchez Account Executive
Titan Production Company
Israel Delgado / Alexander Places Film Direction
Ere Studio / Andrés Ruilova Photography
BAV Group Consultancy
Señal X Branding Implementation