Merrill Lynch Logo

Merrill Lynch Logo PNG

The Merrill Lynch logo demonstrates strength and power. The company is not to be led astray if the goal is set. The emblem contains a hint of a golden calf, which is a symbol of wealth collected in one place. The conglomerate guarantees the reliability of deposits and competent investments.

Meaning and History

Now Merrill Lynch continues to exist, but under a new name and in a completely different form. In 2019, 11 years after the merger, the divisions were merged with Bank of America’s corresponding parts: the trading business and investment banking were transferred to BofA Securities. Only the Merrill brand remained, providing asset management services.

All this was reflected in the visual identification of the financial company. After the merger, the designers emphasized its affiliation with BofA, combining the phrase “MERRILL LYNCH” in the logo with a two-color flag symbol and Bank of America. In 2019, corporate branding changed again with the iconic bull emblem’s return, similar to the one used before 2008.

What is Merrill Lynch?

Merrill Lynch is the asset management division of Bank of America. Its official name is Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated.

1914 – 2009

The logo bore the organization’s name, derived from the names of the founders: Charles E. Merrill and Edmund C. Lynch. Their joint history began in 1914 when they headed their own investment company. The business grew and developed rapidly. By the early 1970s, an unexpected problem arose: the brand name did not correspond to the financial institution’s high standing. It looked like a nice but not very memorable combination of letters “MLF.” Therefore, the management decided to develop a completely different concept, creating a catchy visual series.

At first, the bank’s owners were going to use geese’s image flying south, but they quickly abandoned this idea due to the lack of financial connection. They then remembered that one of Wall Street’s symbols (the historical center of the Financial District) is a bull. This animal symbolizes the rise in prices due to its sharp, upward horns. Also, bulls have been associated with Merrill Lynch ever since it was nicknamed Thundering Herd of Wall Street.

The idea was picked up and developed by Roger Butler, head of New York-based marketing agency Ogilvy. As part of the new “bull” campaign, promotional videos with running animals, a patriotic slogan, and a logo were created. The bull featured on all accompanying materials, business cards, and letterheads has been nicknamed Lightning because of its belly’s zigzag line. It was always to the left of the name Merrill Lynch, written in bold serif letters. For the design of the text, the designers used the Aken Bold font.

2009 – 2019

In January 2009, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated became Bank of America’s property and part of the BofA Securities division. The changes that took place were reflected in its visual identification. Beneath the “MERRILL LYNCH” lettering, which has had its rectangular serifs removed, the phrase “Bank of America Corporation” was added to show the brand’s owner. The letters in the second line were written in small, thin type, which made it possible to make the logo proportional. At the same time, the image of the bull did not disappear anywhere: it remained standing on the left side and retained its white color. But the contours of the animal and all the letters have become dark blue to the new corporate identity requirements.

2019 – today

In 2008, Bank of America was forced to buy the loss-making company Merrill Lynch and re-branded by the end of the following year. In February 2019, another global event took place: from the financial structure, which was a highly developed bank before the crisis, the asset management division of Merrill remained. BofA, a multinational holding company, launched a massive advertising campaign to draw attention to the change. And not long before that, a new brand logo appeared: its name (left), supplemented by the old bull image (right) and the inscription “A BANK OF AMERICA COMPANY” (below).

Font and Colors

Earlier, the bull on the Merrill Lynch emblem symbolized not just personal wealth but a whole community. It was a reflection of global financial growth, stability, strength, and self-confidence. The effect was amplified by old commercials featuring a huge Texas longhorn.

The modern image of a bull is no different from the previous one. The animal, as before, is drawn in a minimalistic cartoon style so that only the silhouette is visible. But now, this image has lost its meaning and is used simply as a cult sign of Merrill Lynch.

The century-old brand once had a logo in which its name was written in Aken Bold. Then the serif typeface replaced the serif. The designers took one of the standard grotesques and made individual changes to the letters. Now the middle “M” looks like a sharp downward angle, and the top horizontal line at “E” is cut diagonally.

Medium Persian Blue (# 0061AA) lends lettering and graphic elements the distinctive charm that characterizes Bank of America’s corporate identity.

Merrill Lynch color codes