Kiwibank launches first major brand overhaul in a decade

Kiwibank has delivered its first major brand overhaul in a decade to reflect modern Kiwi culture and what it means to be Kiwi.

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Since its launch 20 years ago, Kiwibank has become a major challenging brand in the banking industry that employs more than 2,400 people across New Zealand and has over 1 million Kiwi customers. It was also during this time that New Zealand’s collective self-perception has undergone a significant shift to one that is progressive, innovative, and diverse.

“When we looked at our brand, we wanted to understand what it meant to thrive and reflect how modern Kiwi see themselves and their culture today,” Steve Jurkovich, Kiwibank’s CEO. “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.”

Jurkovich said Kiwibank has ambitious plans for the future and is investing substantially to become the bank of choice for even more Kiwi. The bank is currently two years into a five-year transformation that will see it “continue to grow and support Kiwi, balancing purpose, and performance to make Aotearoa better off,” he said.

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To reflect this change, Kiwibank has redesigned its brand identity, including a new logo, which was inspired by the te ao Māori concept of a thriving Aotearoa and expressed through the native harakeke plant.

The bank’s digital channels have launched to customers this week, while its physical network, which includes agency services and business banking hubs, will see updates and upgrades over the next few months.

Simon Hofmann, general manager of brand and marketing at Kiwibank, said the new brand direction will see a very different bank emerge in its 20th year.

“We are in the process of changing thousands of customer touch-points from website and digital tools, customer communication, and social channels, to the app, and ATMs,” Hofmann said. “Furthermore, our physical stores are being reimagined. We are launching a new brand ‘Local for Kiwibank’ across our network of 100 partner sites which offer express banking services.”

Hofmann said 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,” he said.

Also in line with its commitment to helping Kiwi thrive, Kiwibank has recently launched Co-own to empower more Kiwis with their homeownership dreams. Co-own is an alternative option to traditional homeownership that allows friends and family to team up so they can get on the property ladder sooner.

The new brand platform will be launched on May 15, and features a line-up of some of the most inspiring and innovative Kiwis. The campaign, meanwhile, will highlight how each brand is creating a better world and celebrating what it means to be a Kiwi.

The campaign was produced by NZ-owned creative advertising agency, Special, and will be distributed across television, radio, online/digital, out-of-home, and social, alongside media agency OMD while the identity change was led by Kiwi design specialists ThoughtFull.