Description:

Kiwibank is the largest New Zealand owned bank. The brief was to reposition the bank to attract and retain a new progressive customer. The repositioning was to spearhead a transformation across culture, product and technology – ensuring the bank would be future fit for the next 20 years.

Tikanga | Process
We evaluated the current brand identity and engaged with customers to understand perceived relevance and to ensure we recognised existing and distinctive brand equity. We aimed to balanced what customers both recognised and valued with the bank and a clear signal the bank was taking a new direction forward.

Our aspiration was to embed Te Ao Māori values and storytelling at the heart. We started with Kiwibank’s brand vision of “enabling Kiwi to thrive and engaged Kiwibank staff at all levels and with different lived experience to understand diverse perspectives. Further engagement was held with Māori business leaders in a variety of sectors and national Māori business and community organisations in order to deeply understand how Tangata Whenua thrive.

Kōrero Tauāki | Brand Story
What emerged was a shift from an individualistic concept of thriving, to a community centric one.Thriving whānau create thriving communities. Through collaboration between the brand design team and cultural advisors, we shaped the identity based on the narrative of the Pā Harakeke, the consistent motif throughout the entire brand.
A Pā Harakeke is a grove of harakeke plants, representing a thriving village or community. Each plant is a whānau and each leaf a member of that whānau. The centre shoot is the growing generation. The surrounding leaves are the nurturing parents and grandparents.

Tohu | Identity
We expressed the metaphor through a digital-first identity formed from a two-coloured abstract harakeke leaf that folds its way around to frame the wordmark. An active and living form that can transform into a broader visual language. The combination of dark and light green sides of the leaf express knowledge, future, growth and ambition. The top left ‘fold’ denotes culture whilst the bottom right hand ‘notch’ denotes technology.

Tauira | Visual Language
To build depth, three cultural tauira (patterns) were created that define what thriving means. Co-designed with tangata whenua artist Manawa Tapu of Te Rarawa descent, these express the three cultural values adopted by the brand to guide their commitment to Te Ao Māori. Kia Māia (Be Bold) is represented by the Niho Taniwha pattern representing courage and leadership. Kia Mānaaki (Show Heart) is represented by the Pātiki pattern, a symbol of kindness and generosity Kia Mārama (Know How) is represented by the Poutama pattern, a symbol of growth, development and insight.

We expressed the Harekeke concept as a consistent visual thread through all digital and physical environments including iconography and signage with seating systems that wrap and fold through the branch space, a digital wall that expresses the Tauira, and illuminated frames that house ATMs.

A distinctive visual language that connects all touch points with the bank from physical to digital and blends freshness and modernity with cultural authenticity and innovation.