Halifax Logo PNG
“All roads lead to our bank,” says the Halifax logo. “If you are looking for the best in your business, this is the place for you.” The emblem shows that the institution can solve financial issues and stands out from other companies.
Halifax: Brand overview
| Founded: | 1853 |
| Founder: | Lloyds Banking Group |
| Headquarters: | West Yorkshire, UK |
| Website: | halifax.co.uk |
Meaning and History
A brand with more than a century and a half history strives to become relevant and modern; therefore, it regularly revises its visual identity. This approach to his image allows him to stay afloat, surrounded by competing fintech startups.
The famous “X” symbol with which Halifax is associated is relatively recent. Earlier logos focused on the company name and did not contain additional decorative elements. Wolff Olins designed the original version of the enlarged X, which has become one of the UK’s most iconic emblems. Modern designers have slightly changed their appearance to make the brand attractive to young people and the older generation.
What is Halifax?
Halifax is a division of the Bank of Scotland and a leader in mortgage lending in the United Kingdom. The company was established in 1853, initially as a building society. Since then, the range of its services has significantly expanded, as has the number of operating branches.
1925 – 1933
A year after opening the London office, Halifax adopted a new logo that mentioned its name. The word “HALIFAX” was on the top line and was written in large print. The second row occupied the phrase “BUILDING SOCIETY,” which used smaller capital letters. The color was dark – something between black and brown.
1933 – 1965
The designers changed the characters’ width, and the letter spacing’s size, so the inscription in the bottom line began to take up more space. The word “HALIFAX,” on the other hand, has visually diminished. Small depressions appeared at the ends of the letters, although the style did not change in general. Black was chosen as the main color, and the background remained white.
1965 – 1977
In 1965, the font was changed a little more so that the two lines were equal in length. The letters in the phrase “BUILDING SOCIETY” became thinner, and in the word “HALIFAX”—larger.
1977 – 1985
After another redesign, the bottom inscription was removed. The letter “X” looked non-standard, like an uneven hand-drawn cross.
1985 – 2019
In 1986, the building cooperative gained more financial freedom. Before expanding the business, he adopted a new logo with blue ‘HALIFAX’ lettering surrounded by the same blue stripes. The horizontal lines above and below formed a shape that resembled the letter “X” in outline.
2019 – today
The Halifax brand was relaunched on April 5, 2019, with the “Making It Happen” strategy. The corporate identity renewal was designed to make the brand competitive against Starling, Atom, and Monzo’s background. The visual identity was developed by London-based creative agency Rufus Leonard, which is also responsible for the Lloyds Banking Group’s identity.
The current Halifax logo looks laconic. The letters are thinner, and the many horizontal stripes have been replaced with four colored blocks. Carlo D’Alanno, one of Rufus Leonard’s leaders, drew inspiration from other fintech companies’ aesthetics. Perhaps this is why CEO Monzo accused Halifax of plagiarism.
Halifax: Interesting Facts
Halifax, once known as the Halifax Permanent Benefit Building and Investment Society, is a well-known financial services provider in the UK with a rich history in banking and mortgages.
- Starting Point: Halifax began in 1853 in Halifax, West Yorkshire, as a building society that offered savings and loans to help people buy homes.
- Becoming the Largest: By merging with other societies, it became the UK’s biggest building society by 1913, holding onto that spot until it became a bank in 1997.
- Turning into a Bank: In 1997, Halifax changed from a building society to a bank, broadening its services to include more than just mortgages and savings.
- Joining Forces with Bank of Scotland: In 2001, Halifax and Bank of Scotland merged to create HBOS, one of the UK’s major financial groups, blending their mortgage and business banking strengths.
- Becoming Part of Lloyds: During the 2009 financial crisis, Lloyds TSB took over HBOS, making Halifax part of Lloyds Banking Group, significantly increasing its reach.
- Innovating Banking: Halifax has pioneered banking services, notably launching online banking early to make banking easier for its customers.
- Mortgage and Savings Leader: It remains a top choice for mortgages and savings accounts in the UK, helping millions own their homes.
- Winning Awards: Halifax has won numerous awards for its services, especially in customer service, mortgages, and online banking, showing its commitment to customer satisfaction.
- Helping Communities: The company is dedicated to supporting community initiatives, focusing on housing, financial education, and development.
- Creative Marketing: Known for its innovative ads, Halifax uses popular culture characters and creative strategies to engage customers.
Halifax has significantly impacted the financial scene from its small-town beginnings to becoming a key player in one of the UK’s largest banking groups. Its evolution showcases its adaptability, innovative spirit, and customer-focused approach.
Font and Colors
The striped “X” looked like an IBM symbol. Moreover, the lines were erased in the digital space, contradicting the company’s desire to enter the market of modern financial technologies. The new interpretation of the emblem solved this problem: the revised “X” consists of four large parallelograms visible at any scale.
Rufus Leonard’s agency did not make global changes but only slightly simplified its identity. The designers said that Halifax has “nothing broken,” so there is no need to relaunch the brand completely. From their perspective, modernizing the style a little was enough to attract new clients—first of all, young people.
The new font is thinner than the previous ones. The letters are thinner because they are elongated vertically. This is an almost exact copy of the typeface Falling Sky Blk developed by the printing studio Cannot Into Space Fonts.
The base color, as before, remains blue. The palette has two shades: one darker (# 011747) and the second lighter (# 005EB9, similar to Honolulu blue). Against a white background, they look soothing because the designers wanted to create a welcoming atmosphere that would not be too strict or official.