Banco Mexicano Somex was a Mexican multiple banking institution that operated from 1979 until its acquisition in 1992. The bank’s visual identity is documented primarily through its registered trademark, though detailed design history and designer attribution remain unverified in available sources.
Design and History
Banco Mexicano Somex traces its origins to Banco Mexicano, incorporated on November 16, 1932. In 1955, Sociedad Mexicana de Crédito Industrial (subsequently Banco Somex), which had been incorporated in 1941, purchased a controlling portion of Banco Mexicano’s shares. In 1958, Banco Mexicano merged with Banco Español, with Banco Mexicano as the surviving entity.[1]
In 1979, the bank changed its name to Banco Mexicano Somex.[2] The name “Somex” derived from Sociedad Mexicana de Crédito Industrial, the controlling shareholder. The bank operated under this name through the 1980s, a period that included the nationalization of Mexican banks in 1982.[2]
The Banco Mexicano Somex trademark was registered in Mexico, with the application presented on February 24, 1981, and the concession granted on June 18, 1982. The registered mark covered banking services as specified in the Ley General de Instituciones de Crédito y Organizaciones Auxiliares, effective from December 31, 1979. The trademark holder was Banco Mexicano Somex, S.A., Institución de Banca Múltiple, with central offices at Paseo de la Reforma 213, Mexico City.[3]
In 1992, as part of Mexico’s bank privatization process, Grupo InverMéxico acquired Banco Mexicano Somex, which then adopted the name Banco Mexicano, S.A., Institución de Banca Múltiple, Grupo Financiero InverMéxico.[4] This marked the end of the Banco Mexicano Somex brand.
Despite claims attributing a 1979 logo design to Francisco Tellez and Joe Vera, no verifiable source confirming this attribution was found in available research. Joe Vera is documented as a Mexican-American graphic designer known for the Cancun Emblem (1974) and the Avandaro Festival poster (1971),[5] but no source connects him to Banco Mexicano Somex. The specific visual design of the bank’s logo, including its geometric form, colors, and typography, could not be verified from available sources.
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