Societe Generale Logo PNG
Warmth and excitement should always be paired with unshakable principles and a sober outlook. The Societe Generale logo combines these two ideas. The emblem shows that the bank protects funds and offers a solid return on investment.
Société Générale is a globally and systemically important bank based in France that provides universal services due to its extensive investment and financial structure. Its shorter name is SocGen. It has many branches both at home and abroad. By assets, it is the third-largest French bank and the seventh-largest European bank. It is part of the so-called Trois Vieilles, leading the French banking system alongside Crédit Lyonnais and BNP Paribas. Moreover, the financial institution has very long roots, dating back to 1864. Its headquarters is now in La Défense near Paris, in a skyscraper called Tour Société Générale, in the business district.
The bank operated under a different logo and name. The current name emerged much later. Its full name is very long: General Company to Support the Development of Commerce and Industry in France. It was a specialized company established by a group of financiers and industrialists in an important historical period – the Second Empire.
At first, it actively opened offices and staffed them with qualified personnel. Gradually, it expanded its network of financial outlets: 15 in Paris and 32 nationwide. Now there are many more of them, hundreds of them. Moreover, they are located not only within the country but also abroad: in Asia, Europe, South America, and Africa.
Since 1894, credit departments have been part of financial organizations. In 1945, the bank was nationalized, making it subordinate to the state, which became its sole shareholder. Over the years, the organization has repeatedly flourished and declined, but has remained in the banking market, keeping the same logo.
The bank’s most recent loss was €1.26 billion, incurred in mid-2020. As a result, it outlined major administrative changes. They will be in place by the end of 2021 and will likely affect the bank’s identity. And it hasn’t changed for a long time: the investment and financial conglomerate has only one emblem. After moving its headquarters from an old building in Paris to the La Défense business district, it gained a high profile as the area was developed with skyscrapers.
Meaning and History
FA Europe’s sixth-largest bank values reliability and stability, which helps it remain a flagship of the international financial system. Its logo reflects this concept: it is massive and square, with equally even sides. So it demonstrates the strength of the French financial and investment services sector and its resistance to external influences. Now, its branches worldwide are recognizable by a red-and-black sign with a white center.
The company has existed since 1864, so its visual identity is subconsciously linked to its historical roots. By drawing a parallel, we can see a clear similarity between Société Générale’s emblem and its first Paris office. It stood on Rue Provence, in a building with the same massive, square shape. The colors are different, of course, as the bank tried to combine brightness with its iconic lines of business. Moreover, it began operating under a different emblem and name: General Company to Support the Development of Commerce and Industry in France. But after the rebranding, they have changed. Today, it has two modern logos.
What is Societe Generale?
Société Générale, also known as SocGen, is a major French bank considered to be systemically important. It offers a wide range of services, including securities trading and issuing shares and bonds. Its history dates back to 1864, when a group of financiers and business magnates created their own credit and financial institution. Today, it is a multinational company with a presence in more than 60 countries.
1864 – 1990
During this period, the brand’s logo and emblem were unknown.
1990 – 2011
The French bank’s reformatting led to a change in its visual identity. Management approved the two-color square option. It is divided into two halves: red on top and black on the bottom. These segments contrast and appear as two stacked rectangles. The colors in them are saturated and bright, close to peak shades of scarlet and coal. Between them is a thin, horizontal, even white stripe in the center. It separates not only the top and bottom but also the bank’s two-level name. The first word sits on a red background, so it is black. The second part is on the dark side of the logo and is white for better readability. The inscription is typed in bold Antiqua with flattened letters.
2011 – today
The modern emblem is an improved version of the old logo. It retains a two-color square divided in two. However, it now uses crimson instead of bright red. It is just as catchy but looks softer without causing unpleasant associations among customers. The designers kept the white stripe and enlarged it slightly. They moved the name of the financial and investment institution outside the icon and set it in text. But the old font disappeared: an expressive grotesque replaced the wide antiqua. The inscription is set in bold, black, capital letters. The two-tier arrangement remains, but it is now left-aligned, whereas the words were centered before.
Font and Colors
The current logo echoes the appearance of the skyscrapers in the area where the bank is located. The graphic icon’s outlines repeat Tour Société Générale (the names of two buildings built at a half-turn to each other). It shows two horizontal rectangles with miniature protrusions on the right and left. The upper zone is red; the lower one is black. They are connected to form a void in the middle, indicated by a long white line. All these contours are recognizable in the financial conglomerate’s head office buildings; there is even a narrow space between them.
The contrasting tones reflect strength and influence, and the strict geometric shape conveys the company’s energy and power. On the right is the bank’s name, grouped into two lines: in the upper row, “Societe”; in the lower row, “Generale.” All letters are standard, proportional, capitalized, grotesque, and subtle. Both elements are located on a white background.
The logo uses a typeface reminiscent of Media Gothic. These narrow sans-serif letters are geometrically strict and even. They demonstrate the conglomerate’s transparency in its financial activities and openness to clients. The proprietary palette is stable and includes three colors: red (#e50a30), black (#010101), and neutral white.