Wellington, New Zealand – New Zealand state-owned bank and financial services provider Kiwibank has launched its first major brand overhaul, with the aim to reflect ‘modern’ Kiwi culture.
The new brand identity includes a new logo, which was inspired by the te ao Māori concept of a thriving Aotearoa, expressed through the native harakeke plant. It also includes new digital channels and a physical network, which includes agency services and business banking hubs, making it the largest physical network of all banks in the country, and will see updates and upgrades over the next few months.
Kiwibank has also launched a new brand platform, featuring a line-up of some of the most inspiring and innovative Kiwis, including Allbirds, Dawn Aerospace, UBCO, Emirates Team New Zealand, and Banqer, as well as pop duo sensation, Broods – all leaders in their respective fields and making a positive impact on Aotearoa and the world. It highlights the work each brand is doing in its industry to lead the way in creating a better world and celebrating what it means to be a Kiwi.
The campaign has been produced by creative advertising agency Special and will be distributed across television, radio, digital, out-of-home, and social, alongside media agency OMD, while the identity change was led by Kiwi design specialists ThoughtFull.
Moreover, Kiwibank has also launched ‘Co-own’, an alternative option to traditional homeownership where Kiwis can team up to get on the property ladder sooner. This seeks to help enable more Kiwis with their homeownership dreams.
Steve Jurkovich, Kiwibank’s CEO, shared that when they looked at their brand, they wanted to understand what it meant to thrive and reflect on how modern Kiwis see themselves and their culture today.
“After 20 years in business and as we look ahead at the change the bank is undertaking, it is the right time to better reflect the bank we are today and the ambition we have for the future for our customers, communities and country. Kiwibank has ambitious plans for the future and is investing substantially to become the bank of choice for even more Kiwis. We are two years into a five-year transformation that will see us continue to grow and support Kiwi, balancing purpose and performance to make Aotearoa better off,” said Jurkovich.
Meanwhile, Simon Hofmann, Kiwibank’s general manager of brand and marketing, noted that they are in the process of changing thousands of customer touch-points from the website and digital tools, customer communication and social channels, to the app and ATMs.
He further shared that their physical stores are being reimagined, as they are launching a new brand ‘Local for Kiwibank’ across their network of 100 partner sites which offer express banking services.
“The brand platform and campaign reflect what it means to be Kiwi, featuring Kiwi brands that are modern, game-changing, and passionate. Kiwibank is proud to be the bank that is helping Kiwi thrive and ‘This is Kiwi’ demonstrates our purpose – Kiwi making Kiwi better off,” added Hofmann.
