OCBC Bank Logo PNG
The OCBC Bank logo transports clients into the future, passing through the past. It has deep historical roots dating back to the financial institution’s inception. This connection empowers it to strive forward, grow daily, and evolve to meet modern demands. The image used in the bank’s emblem is iconic, thus firmly rooted in its identity.
OCBC Bank traces its roots to Singapore’s early 20th-century Chinese business community. In 1912, Lim Peng Siang and wealthy Hokkien merchants founded the Chinese Commercial Bank, the city’s first Hokkien bank. Ho Hong Bank followed in March 1917, and Oversea-Chinese Bank appeared in 1919. All three served Fujianese diaspora networks built on family and trade ties.
The 1929 financial crisis weakened the three banks and pushed them toward consolidation. On October 31, 1932, they merged into Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation, with Tan Ean Kiam and Lee Kong Chian playing key roles. Operations began in February 1933, making OCBC one of the largest local banks in the British Straits Settlements. Its predecessor, Oversea-Chinese Bank, had already opened a branch in Xiamen in 1925.
Lee Kong Chian chaired the bank from 1938 to 1964. During the Japanese occupation of Singapore in 1942, local banks briefly suspended operations, and OCBC shifted its head office to Bombay, with Lee Choon Seng serving as acting chairman. After the war, OCBC rebuilt operations, introduced night safe service in 1948, and launched home banking visits in 1958. In 1966, Tan Chin Tuan became chairman.
By 1970, OCBC’s assets had passed one billion Singapore dollars, making it Singapore’s largest financial institution by deposit base. In 1972, it acquired Four Seas Communications Bank, founded in 1906 as Sze Hai Tong Bank. In 1989, the bank adopted the OCBC Bank name and new identity. It acquired Keppel Capital Holdings in 2001 and Wing Hang Bank in 2014 for 6.2 billion Singapore dollars, and later renamed the latter OCBC Wing Hang. Its regional path developed alongside rivals such as DBS Bank and Maybank.
Meaning and History
The history of this bank is a history of consolidations. It started with combining three structures into one, so it almost always adhered to this strategy, evolving through mergers. And this approach is reflected in the logo: it has often changed, almost always coinciding with internal transformations at the financial institution.
What is OCBC Bank?
OCBC Bank is a major financial institution based in Singapore, the second-largest bank in Southeast Asia. Its full name is Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation. It was formed by the merger of three banks that emerged in the early 20th century. These are the Oversea-Chinese Bank Limited (1919), Ho Hong Bank Limited (1917), and China Commercial Bank Limited (1912). The new structure was launched in 1932 and was founded by Tan Ean Kiam and Lee Kong Chian.
1932 – late 1960s
The logo looks like a zinc stamp or an engraving made on an iron plate. It has a round shape and depicts a marine landscape, where the main focus is a large sailing boat rushing forward on the waves against a cloudy sky. Each stroke, each shadow, and each reflection is a significant part of the picture because the sign is colorless, and images arise from subtle lines.
Late 1960s – 1978
The engraving turned into a work of art. The emblem became juicy, colorful, and convex, and came alive under the artist’s brush. The designer added colors to it, making the image more natural. Now the wooden junk is positioned sideways rather than straight, and placed at the very center of the logo. It has two tall masts with wide sails inflated by the tailwind. The waves are white as if covered with light foam. The surrounding space inspires hope and confidence in a bright future because there is not a single cloud in the sky, only shining sunlight. A light shadow is visible only on the right as a reminder of the company’s harsh past. All elements are within a circle, captured in a triple-volumetric frame.
1978 – 1989
The OCBC Bank logo became schematic as if it depicted the shadow of a sailing ship. This impression is created by using only two colors, black and beige. The former contains all the elements of the emblem, and the latter serves as its background. Hence, the negative space is now actively used. However, the waves are not volumetric but linear. They form four stripes of different lengths, as the sign has retained its circular shape.
1989 – 1998
The era of the red logo began. Now it predominates with two key details: a unique symbol and an inscription. The circle has a wide ring, harmoniously combined with the image of junk. It, like part of the sail, is included in the frame. Moreover, a piece of the sail is placed on a white background in the center of the “O.” On the right is the name, written in one word but separated by color: the abbreviation “OCBC” is painted red, and the word “Bank” is white with a red outline. In the first case, the font is bold and earthy; in the second, it is narrow and high. The only thing that unites them is the absence of serifs.
1998 – 2023
The inscription is standardized with the same font. Although the first part is slightly bolder than the second, they share the same typeface. The letters are smooth, straight, chiseled, and high. This option looks modern and elegant.
2023 – today
In light of the bank’s rapid expansion through branch mergers, a new logo and slogan were adopted as part of the rebranding. In line with the motto “For now, and beyond,” the developers cautiously updated the design, leaving the main elements untouched while adding some novelties.
The central link of the logo remains the classic Chinese sailing boat, the bank’s heraldic sign, and its long-term ambitions. This symbol, integral to the bank’s DNA, testifies to its aspiration to pursue prospective deals and investments, paving the way for the future.
The OCBC emblem expresses the entrepreneurial spirit of the founders who ventured into ASEAN to create businesses and homes that will benefit future generations. In this context, the iconic sailing ship has remained a faithful element of every version of the logo since its creation in 1932.
The current version represents an enlarged image of the stylized ship, topped with a new visual language. A significant change was the exclusion of the word “Bank” from the text, which emphasizes the image of the sailing ship and reflects the banking brand’s resilience and innovativeness.
Font and Colors
During the evolution of the OCBC Bank emblem, there was a transition from an engraving style to a flat one, which influenced the appearance of text outside the logo’s early versions. Designers used several typefaces, similar to Foundation Sans Black Extended and Asimov WidOu. But mostly Geomanist is used, a clear, modern font with varying degrees of boldness.
Different shades of red have almost always distinguished the corporate palette. Before it was cadmium (code #e11a27), it became a little brighter and lighter, closer to Pantone 485C. Passionate, energetic, and strong, these are the main qualities for which it was chosen, as they are inherent in resourceful, goal-oriented, and enterprising people, such as the employees of this bank.