Truist Logo PNG
The Truist logo depicts a safe path to financial well-being for its clients. The emblem is filled with the protection and support the bank provides during the cooperation process, given its scale and capital.
Truist was formed from two Southern banking lines that began in the 19th century. One started in 1872 in Wilson, North Carolina, when Alpheus Branch and Thomas Jefferson Hadley opened Branch and Hadley to serve local farmers and the cotton trade. After several reorganizations, it became Branch Banking and Trust Company, known as BB&T.
The second line began in Atlanta in 1891 as Commercial Travelers’ Savings Bank. In 1904, investors led by Ernest Woodruff acquired the Trust Company of Georgia. Its reputation grew in 1919, when it underwrote Coca-Cola’s initial public offering and accepted the original formula as collateral. In 1985, Trust Company of Georgia merged with Sun Banks of Florida, forming SunTrust Banks.
During the 1990s and 2000s, both banks expanded through acquisitions. Under John Allison, BB&T completed more than 60 deals between 1989 and 2010. The 1995 acquisition of Southern National Bank doubled its size and moved its headquarters to Winston-Salem. SunTrust built strength across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic, with corporate banking, asset management, and SunTrust Robinson Humphrey.
On 7 February 2019, BB&T and SunTrust announced a merger of equals valued at about $28 billion. On 12 June 2019, the combined company revealed the Truist name, a combination of “trust” and “true.” The deal closed on 6 December 2019. Truist Financial Corporation and Truist Bank were formed, with headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina, and combined assets of about $500 billion.
Meaning and History
The agreement to merge SunTrust and BB&T was concluded in 2019, although preparations had begun many years earlier. The companies closed the $28 billion deal with little to no discussion of price. The combined bank’s assets amounted to $440 billion. The owners entrusted the naming choice to the leading consulting firm Interbrand. The specialists’ task was to find an option that would suit both parties: a short, unique word that does not favor either SunTrust or BB&T.
A compromise solution was the name Truist. Although it evokes several positive associations, it is fictitious and means nothing. A careful observer will notice the connection with the words “true” and “trust,” which was the ultimate goal of the Interbrand employees. Desperate to find the perfect combination of the SunTrust and BB&T names, the developers took a trusted term and added the letter “i” to it.
Social media users criticized the new name, but the company did not deviate from its intentions and finally approved it in December 2019. At that time, bank customers did not yet know what the logo would look like: it was introduced in January 2020 along with the website. Integration was planned to be completed by the end of 2021.
What is Truist?
Truist is one of the largest American banking holdings. It was established in 2019 when SunTrust Banks, Inc. and BB&T Corporation merged into a single company headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. The resulting organization offers various services, including mortgage lending, insurance, and investments.
before 2020
The merger of SunTrust Banks, Inc. and BB&T Corporation began in February 2019 and concluded in December. The official logo of the newly formed holding was unveiled in January 2020. During the transition period, the combined emblems of Truist’s two predecessor companies were used.
On the left side was the BB&T wordmark, in Times New Roman Bold and burgundy (#8A0025). On the right was the blue SunTrust name. It consisted of uppercase letters with thick serifs. Between the two inscriptions was a stylized sun: twelve asymmetrical orange rays of varying lengths, with sharp ends pointing inward. They visually connected the two companies, symbolizing their energy and growth.
2020 – today
The Truist brand was gradually introduced into the surrounding space so that people could get used to it. So the logo began to appear on SunTrust and BB&T affiliates, on digital platforms, in advertisements, and on signs at SunTrust Park. Like the financial institution’s name, it was invented by Interbrand specialists. They paired a minimalist “TRUIST” lettering with a square featuring two 90-degree rotated ‘T’s. Reaction to the symbol has been mixed. Someone liked it, saying the pattern resembled a belt buckle or an electrical circuit.
The bank’s bold branding pays homage to the heritage of BB&T and SunTrust. The new look is very symbolic, despite its apparent simplicity. The two mirrored “Ts” within a square frame represent the merger of two giants in the financial sector. The fact that the letters are the same size speaks to the importance and equality of the two combined companies. At the same time, the square conveys security and trust, and its rounded corners suggest accessibility. The monogram, in turn, references the Touch + technology and represents an individual approach for each client.
Font and Colors
The word “TRUIST” is to the left of the square emblem. Interbrand’s designers created a custom sans-serif typeface for it, entrusting the bulk of the work to a master typographer. Wide letter-spacing symbolizes the bank’s openness and honesty, as well as its willingness to cooperate. The curve at the bottom of the “R” creates the illusion of moving forward towards new achievements. All letters are capital, bold, and non-contrasting. They do not have unnecessary details that may prevent the logo from displaying adequately on a mobile device or when greatly reduced.
The choice of color was decisive in the merger of the two banks. The specialists took a rich blue tint from the SunTrust identity and combined it with BB&T’s burgundy, resulting in a dark purple tone known as Truist Purple.