Credit Bank is the English name historically used by the Swiss financial institution Schweizerische Kreditanstalt (SKA), which later became Credit Suisse. The bank’s visual identity is closely tied to the work of Swiss graphic designer Gérard Miedinger, who created posters and window displays for the institution over several decades.
Design and History
Gérard Miedinger (1912–1995) was a pioneering figure in modern Swiss graphic design. He opened his Atelier Miedinger studio in Zurich in 1945, and from 1950 he designed the window displays for the Schweizerische Kreditanstalt on Zurich’s Bahnhofstrasse, a project that spanned more than 40 years.[1] His studio also produced posters for the bank, including works from 1974 and 1975 that carry the institution’s full multilingual name: Schweizerische Kreditanstalt, Crédit Suisse, Credito Svizzero, and Swiss Credit Bank.[2][3] The Alliance Graphique Internationale (AGI) confirms that Miedinger created logotypes and corporate identities for industry and government, and that he designed window displays for Credit Suisse for 25 years.[4]
The bank’s most famous mark, known as the “Wermelinger cross,” was introduced in 1968. It was selected as the winner of a widely held logo competition.[5] The symbol drew on elements of the Swiss cross.[5] In 1976, the bank introduced a red, white, and blue logo version that incorporated the cross emblem with a white outline.[6]
In 1997, following the formation of Credit Suisse Group, the bank adopted a new corporate identity that used a modern logotype and the familiar red and blue color combination.[5] The 1997 identity dropped the cross symbol in favor of the wordmark alone, with “Credit” in blue and “Suisse” in red.[6]
In 2006, Credit Suisse unified its operations under a single brand and introduced a new logo designed by Enterprise IG, The Global Brand Agency.[7] The new mark featured two stylized blue sails above the wordmark, which the bank said reflected the dynamism and innovation associated with its investment banking, private banking, and asset management divisions, while also visualizing the discretion and prestige of its Swiss banking tradition.[7]
Meaning and Symbolism
The 2006 logo’s sail symbol was described by the bank as expressing the dynamism and innovation of its business while also visualizing the discretion and prestige tied to its tradition as a Swiss bank.[7] The earlier Wermelinger cross, introduced in 1968, drew on elements of the Swiss cross.[5]
Typography and Design
The 2006 logo’s wordmark was executed in a classical typeface with fine, confident letterforms and precise spacing, described by one design source as similar to TF Arrow.[6] The 2014 update darkened the color slightly to improve contrast and legibility.[6]
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