BradescoCopied

Bradesco's stylised tree dates from 1997, when, Meio & Mensagem explained, the logo took on the geometric strokes that form trunk and crown. Its last update was in 2012 and minor: two corners of the box around the tree were rounded. On 5 November 2018 the bank presented a new version, developed by Superunion Brasil according to both Meio & Mensagem and B9, with the stated aim of giving the brand a more contemporary and digital touch.

The tree stays but loses its container. The two strokes at the base that form the trunk now end in a cut at a 30 degree angle, which Meio & Mensagem reported reflects the institution's confidence in Brazil. The upper strokes of the crown still stand for welcome and protection, and their intersection is meant to reinforce connection, service and relationships with customers. The proprietary typeface was redrawn to be more modern and minimal, without serifs and with a lowercase b. Red still dominates, but the colour code gains new combinations, including gradients, to allow different applications.

The rollout was deliberately slow. B9 reported that the bank would move branches to the new typography without hurry, though all would eventually get the new identity, and Meio & Mensagem said branches would adopt it as they were refurbished. The mark made its communication debut in the campaign for Cirque du Soleil's show OVO, sponsored by the bank and created by Leo Burnett Tailor Made, and in a five episode rugby series with Globo on Esporte Espetacular.

This is an exemplary small refresh. Taking the tree out of its box is the single change that matters: the boxed mark was an app icon before apps existed, and the free standing tree now has room to breathe at any size. The 30 degree cut is the kind of detail that is meaningful to the brand team and invisible to everyone else, and the symbolism attached to it is a stretch. The lowercase sans wordmark is generic, but it reads cleanly on screens, which is the point. Bradesco kept every bit of recognition and shed the visual weight. For a bank that size, that is precisely the right amount of change.