Amid Credit Suisse’s demise, creative leaders consider the lasting power of brand design

What would drive an individual to purchase historic Credit Suisse-branded merchandise? Brand designers from Australia and abroad consider the emotional connection brands make with their audiences over time.

It’s unclear what will come of Credit Suisse’s branding after UBS acquired the bank in March 2023. (Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP)

An uptick in reported demand for Credit Suisse-branded merchandise on Swiss online marketplaces has some creative leaders thinking about the enduring role of brand design.

While its unclear what will come of the Credit Suisse “brand” since the business was acquried by UBS, some individuals are hanging on to old versions of the Credit Suisse logo, including hats, bags and gold pendants.

UK-based brand designer Nick Simmons, of True Design, created Credit Suisse’s 1997 logo, which was designed as part of a pitch by British advertising agency Wolff Olins (now Omnicom Group Inc. owned) at the time.

The logo was used by the bank globally and was evolved to easily add business names such as First Boston as it expanded.

“Our 1997 ‘evolution’ was rock solid – everything you needed to know about the bank was there: ‘Credit’ and ‘Suisse’, in a bold space-efficient design,” said Mr Simmons, who has worked in the brand design business for 35 years.

Credit Suisse's 1997 logo was created by brand designer Nick Simmons.

On April 4, a cap with the 1997 iteration of the logo was listed on Swiss marketplace Ricardo with 11 bids and a buy-it-now price tag of $CHF150 ($243). Beanies with other historic versions of the Credit Suisse logo have been listed for as much as $CHF1000.

In 2006, the blue and red iteration from 1997 was superseded by the version with the “sails” symbol – the current version used by Credit Suisse.

Logo architecture that accommodates change is not uncommon for brands that merge with or acquire other businesses, which often need more design flexibility to integrate elements such as dual languages and other company names.

According to Mr Simmons, health insurer Bupa’s logo has been similarly evolved to accommodate for additional divisions and companies it has purchased over time.

For 12 years True Design has been a lead brand agency for Bupa, and most recently evolved its logo and brand architecture across it’s global businesses.

What would therefore compel someone to purchase brand artefacts, like Credit Suisse’s, at a time of company crisis?

Jaid Hulsbosch, director at Australian brand design firm Hulsbosch offers a simple rationale: “Because they’re emotionally engaged/connected with the brand.”

Mr Hulsbosch, whose branding and design agency has been responsible for a number of Australian firms such as Woolworths, Virgin Australia and sporting gear retailer Rebel, said individuals may want to “hold on to some memory” of brands with an iconic status, or companies they have a deep connection to.

While this may explain the sudden prompt to purchase Credit Suisse merchandise, Mr Hulsbosch said cultivating this connection via brand-building does not happen overnight.

Rather it is the long-term, sustained communication over time that truly earns the hearts, minds and wallets of consumers.

Despite the fact that most companies bear little direct commercial benefit to vintage merchandise, it does point to the weight branding carries – including logo-clad merchandise – and the role it plays in connecting with audiences in the long term.

“A brand is the product of millions of experiences a company creates with people (its employees, suppliers and consumers) and the emotional feelings these groups develop as a result of those experiences,” said Mr Hulsbosch.

“It’s about getting to the heart of the business and making sure we communicate at all levels in the most direct and simplest way what the company stands for.”

“Branding is about visualising emotion. It shapes, clarifies and articulates how an organisation perceives itself and its products,” said Mr Hulsbosch.

“When we brand, we develop an emotional connection between a business and the consumer in order to build awareness and create customer loyalty. Branding allows us to differentiate your product or service from the competitor and can deliver real tangible benefits at an economic, organisational and cultural level.”

While the Credit Suisse brand in its current form lives on (for now), True Design’s Mr Simmons considers the iconic brands of today and their future connection to customers.

“Of course, nothing is totally future proof,” said Mr Simmons. “Eventually, some people refresh their brand, just because they’re changing their business model, they’re slightly updating things, and then they want to express that by updating the brand. But in terms of logo design, per se, it’s simple. Simple is more memorable. Simple is more visible.”

It is rare, he said, to see a brand evolve its logo into something more visually complicated.

“It’ll be interesting to think in the future, like, all the iconic brands now that we know, especially Apple and Nike and Uber, will anyone be collecting their stuff?”

Apple’s brand and logo power has a well-documented design history and parts of it are already sought after in the same way Credit Suisse’s old merchandise is currently being immortalised: A yellowed t-shirt emblazoned with Apple’s 1984 slogan “The Power to Be Your Best” is currently listed on eBay for $282.43.

“Of course, Apple is living history,” said Mr Simmons. “Credit Suisse, as of last week, is history history.”