Mechanics Bank Identity + Branding

Logo + Tagline

CREATIVE + ART DIRECTION

Mechanics Bank had a long rich history of serving a loyal regional clientele, but understood continuing on that path would require an update to the brand. With a core team of marketers from the bank and a deep roster of creative talent in the agency we discovered the core truths of the brand and crafted an identity that clearly communicated that to customers, shareholders and industry. Through exhaustive exploration, frequent presentation and rigorous vetting, we delivered an identity, logo and tagline activated successfully in multiple channels and received positively by all constituents.

Brand Activation

MULTI-CHANNEL APPLICATION

When business and brand teams decide to update an organization’s identity there is much to be considered, the design of a logo and the wording of a tagline the least of those considerations quite often. The strategic planning and approvals required for a successful roll-out — internally and externally — must be part of any branding equation. Thankfully, all teams understood this critical part of the process and worked with us to define requirements, draft plans and drive initiatives forward. At launch we invited stakeholders and staff to an immersive brand introduction, complete with live entertainment and souvenirs. We empowered these brand ambassadors to bring the new brand to life in their offices and communities, as we embarked on activating the brand in all media and channels.

Process

EMC Creative was the agency of record for Mechanics Bank when the organization began to evaluate the state of the marketplace and the strength of the brand. Talks between client and agency leadership began early on and as the lead creative I was actively involved in recording the proceedings, the decisions made and the deliverables each team would be responsible for bringing back to the group. One such deliverable was the new logo that would be designed to replace the existing mark. Along with copious notes on the history of the organization, the impressions shared by long-standing customers and community members and the aspirations of these constituencies I recorded the first-draft sketches and scribbles that sometimes made it to the next step.

These quick loose sketches would occasionally show promise and they would be further explored. As creative lead I was regularly meeting with designers, within the agency and engaged as outside consultants, and facilitating presentations where rigorous critique would narrow the candidates. Ultimately a solid package of creative work was presented to stakeholders and that became the final presentation given to executive management of the bank. This comprehensive process resulted in the unanimous decision to move forward with the work produced by EMC and my team.

One of the next steps was defining how each of the banks business units would represent the brand, how they could strategically map their message to a specific audience and tell a highly relevant and motivating story online and on their website and promotional landing pages. Using the rubric and sample banner ad shown here we were able to illustrate what a data-driven approach, the inputs, outputs and assets, might look like.

On the brick-and-mortar side, we were able to effectively communicate brand application and activation at the individual office (branch) level with floor plans and schematics, graphic designs and layouts, plus computer-generated models of interiors and exteriors. These images show the careful planning of message and placement our team was able to present to the client teams for approval in addition to facilities directors, signage fabricators and installers and office managers.

At the end of this months-long process the agency team delivered a solid identity and brand, the client team was delighted with the work and the process, and the bank management and staff teams were excited to represent an organization newly positioned with a relevant message, a modern look and feel and a rich story to share.

Results

Mechanics Bank launched the new identity and brand in a time of upheaval and uncertainty in the financial services industry. Many competitors were repositioning their brands with promises of sophisticated technology or simple convenience, while others went quiet to wait out the perfect storm of federal regulations and public scrutiny. The new brand promise of proven commitment, represented cleanly and consistently, got the attention of our client’s primary audience and resonated with both commercial and private customers and shareholders.