Investments with the company guarantee safety and long life. This is what the Nationwide Insurance logo says. Insurance is the right and practical step, a great way to protect yourself and your loved ones. The emblem is a symbol of future prospects.
Nationwide Insurance: Brand overview
Founded: | 1926 |
Headquarters: |
Columbus, Ohio, U.S. |
Website: | nationwide.com |
Meaning and History
The Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company group arose out of a mutual insurance organization that was engaged in auto insurance and protected the property interests of Ohio farmers. Its restructuring took place gradually as the business expanded. Simultaneously, the Nationwide brand was developing: it appeared in 1955, replacing the Farm Bureau Mutual.
The renaming was because the company opened its offices in 20 new states and became truly “nationwide.” At the same time, the old corporate style was replaced by an improved visual identity. The logo also progressed: the designers experimented with the eagle’s appearance and even temporarily abandoned it in favor of an empty blue frame.
What is Nationwide Insurance?
Nationwide Insurance is a leader in the US insurance market. It is a group of companies that offers property, health, pet, and other insurance. It also provides pension, investment, and banking services. Its history began in 1926 with the creation of Farm Bureau Mutual in the state of Ohio.
1926 – 1955
Until 1955, the organization was called the Farm Bureau Mutual Automobile Insurance Company. It received its license to auto insurance in 1926 and then began to expand. So she had many subsidiaries, including the Nationwide Mutual Fire Insurance Company. This brand’s mark contained a black eagle inside the same black oval ring with the yellow inscription “NATIONWIDE MUTUAL FIRE INS. CO. ” The bird covered the middle of the blue letter “N” with its wing.
the 1960s – 1998
In 1955, the Nationwide Insurance group of companies was officially registered. The symbol with the eagle on the letter “N” survived; only the bird turned white and acquired a black outline. On the right was a “three-story” inscription, with all three lines of the same length. The upper level was occupied by the blue word “NATIONWIDE,” the middle – the same blue “INSURANCE,” and at the bottom was the advertising phrase “Nationwide is on your side” in black.
1998 – 2014
In 1999, the insurance company leaders decided that it was time to move on to a new corporate identity. As part of the rebranding, they ditched the traditional eagle symbol and held an entire farewell ceremony. It was the largest corporate event in Nationwide’s half-century history. The company owners brought together all the employees (and at that time, there were more than 35 thousand) at thirty videoconferences and released two eagles, named Lincoln and Murray, live. By that time, the birds had already undergone rehabilitation and could go into the wild. Then the workers watched them for months on satellite tracking devices.
Leaders realized that for many employees, the eagle logo was a personal mascot. People with experience immortalized it on their bodies or decorated their homes with it. The farewell ceremony was supposed to symbolize the rejection of the past, and at the same time, remind you that you need to strive for the future. All this was done to introduce a new emblem: a white rectangle with a light blue border and the words “Nationwide.”
2014 – today
The financial institution, together with the marketing agency Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv, conducted a study that yielded unexpected results. As it turned out, even sixteen years after the redesign, people continued to remember the eagle logo and associated it with Nationwide Insurance. So the company executives suddenly learned that this symbol could compete with the Nike Swoosh in popularity. Since the blue border was 50% less recognizable, it was decided to return the old design.
Experts from Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv worked on the updated version of the eagle. They kept the “Nationwide” lettering but made it black and placed it under the bird. The enhanced character was introduced in early September 2014. It made its debut in a commercial during the NFL season premiere.
The complete replacement of the old visual identity took 18 months. First, the logo appeared at the headquarters of the group of companies and then spread to branches. The redesign was timed to coincide with the restructuring: Nationwide Insurance merged its subsidiaries under a common brand.
Font and Colors
The insurance company had always used the eagle symbol in the background of the letter “N.” An exception was the 16-year break when a simple frame with a signature replaced the traditional emblem. After a long pause, the bird returned to its original place. It does not look the same as before: it has no claws, its feathers are more voluminous, and its beak is extended forward.
The typography has not changed since 1998. The lettering is based on the Yorkten Bold typeface by Jeremy Dooley. Another analog is the Uniform Bold geometric sans serif typeface from Miller Type Foundry.
After the redesign, the lettering is black, and the blue elements are darker (# 2851AB). The selection of the palette was made by the advertising agency Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv.
Nationwide Insurance color codes
Sapphire | Hex color: | #2851ab |
---|---|---|
RGB: | 40 81 171 | |
CMYK: | 77 53 0 33 | |
Pantone: | PMS 7455 C |
Black | Hex color: | #000000 |
---|---|---|
RGB: | 0 0 0 | |
CMYK: | 0 0 0 100 | |
Pantone: | PMS Process Black C |