Banco BPM is an Italian banking group formed on 1 January 2017 through the merger of two cooperative banks, Banco Popolare and Banca Popolare di Milano (BPM).[1] The group’s visual identity was introduced in December 2016, ahead of the merger, and was designed internally by the new group’s own team.[2]
Design and History
The Banco BPM logo was unveiled on 22 December 2016, with the merger becoming effective on 1 January 2017.[2] The final version of the mark dates to 15 November 2016 and consists of the word “Banco” in blue with “BPM” in green beneath a stylized arc that fades from blue to green.[3]
The bank’s official statement described the logo as celebrating the heritage of two major popolari banks while symbolizing their union. The color shades blending from blue to green, colors deeply associated with the identity of the two banks, represent the combination of values, intentions and perspectives on which Banco Popolare and Banca Popolare di Milano built their histories.[2]
The design was described by the bank as “an essential and contemporary symbol,” created internally by the new group.[2] The group’s official press release characterized the mark as one that “declares the will to innovate, in the sense of tradition.”[4]
Meaning and Symbolism
The central graphic element of the Banco BPM logo is a stylized horizon, described by the bank as a symbol of sharing and connection between two worlds that unite and orient toward a common future. The arc sits above the logotype and serves as an element of cohesion, expressing the bond between the two banks.[2]
The blue-to-green gradient carries the symbolic weight of the merger: blue and green were the colors historically associated with the two merging institutions, and their combination in a single gradient represents the fusion of the two banking identities.[5] An independent design commentary noted that the mark resembles a bridge, though the bank itself officially refers to it as a stylized horizon.[6]
Typography and Design
The logotype pairs the word “Banco” in blue with “BPM” in green, set beneath the gradient arc.[3] The bank described the overall symbol as essential and contemporary, designed to work across the group’s various applications.[2] No external design agency was credited; the mark was developed entirely within the new group.[2]
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