Kansas Bankers Association
Challenge
Kansas Bankers Association is one of the oldest running banking associations in the country. Founded in 1887, KBA has always been an organization of bankers, for bankers. When the board of directors adopted an aggressive strategic plan to further the banking industry in Kansas, the KBA sought help to achieve their vision. THE ESSENTIALS -Actively Educate And Promote The Banking Industry To Recruit Future Bankers -Improve Industry Image Through Advocacy -To Be Recognized As The Premier Educational Resource For Kansas Banks -Increase The Association’s Value To Its Membership
Solution
To create the visual representation of Kansas Bankers Association, we began with the most striking and unique feature of the association; its history. With 133 years of operation, Kansas Bankers Association’s service has spanned the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. We wanted to honor that rich tradition by creating a brand that showed the heraldry of more than a century of service but drew inspiration from Kansas, the state that made it possible. Our design story begins with a modern take on the coat of arms. Coats of arms were among the original forms of design– they were the first brands. The crest that serves as the foundation of the new mark is built using the familiar shape of Kansas combined with the inspiration brought about by the famed Kansas sunsets. The elements denote, in a simple fashion, the organization’s location and its mission. In the same manner that the light reaches all corners of Kansas, so does the Kansas Bankers Association. We also found inspiration in further iconic Kansas imagery, the bison. A single bison, on its own, is powerful but when those individuals come together as a group, they are unstoppable! The final lock-up of two bison anchoring the mark symbolizes Kansas Bankers Association’s power of unity. The color palette for the brand is anchored in rich blues. In color psychology, blues elicit feelings of trust and dependability. The palette is accented with a gold tone that denotes the nobility and professionalism of the organization. In total execution, the mark feels like it has been a part of the organization from the beginning yet it is steeped in the modern story of the Kansas Bankers Association. The brand shows incredible versatility, an essential element for an organization with multiple audiences and messages to convey.
Results
The new Kansas Bankers Association brand portrays the authority and approachability of the organization with elegance. It is a mark 133 years in the making and ready for the next century.
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