Intesa Sanpaolo is Italy’s largest banking group, created through the 2007 merger of Banca Intesa and Sanpaolo IMI. The bank’s logo combines elements from both predecessor brands into a single mark: a square pictogram featuring a stylized Roman aqueduct, paired with a wordmark set in the Trajan font and rendered in the green color of the original Sanpaolo IMI trademark.[1]
Design and History
The Intesa Sanpaolo trademark was created immediately after the 2007 merger to embody the history and values of Banca Intesa and Sanpaolo IMI, which joined forces to create the largest banking group in Italy.[1] The logo is a hybrid of the two previous identities, combining the green color and font of the Turin-based Sanpaolo IMI with the colored arches of Banca Intesa.[2]
The square pictogram depicts a stylized Roman aqueduct, described by the bank as a symbol of permanence and development, as well as life and prosperity, and the union of different cultures and people.[1] The aqueduct figure is positioned at the center of the logo and is described as the element that best expresses and represents the merger of the two banks.[1]
Following the merger, a unified company identity code was adopted across the entire Intesa Sanpaolo Group. All banks and companies within the group aligned their image to the parent company’s identity, using the Trajan lettering and green color of the parent company, preceded by the colored square aqueduct logo as a strong element of group membership.[1] For example, Banca Intesa Beograd changed its logo in 2008 to harmonize its visual identity with the standards of the parent Intesa Sanpaolo group, while keeping its name unchanged.[3]
Meaning and Symbolism
The square pictogram is described as a perfect, harmonious and balanced form.[4] The stylized Roman aqueduct within it symbolizes solidity and development, as well as life and prosperity, and the union of cultures and peoples.[4]
The wordmark is designed starting from the Trajan font, the lettering carved on the base of Trajan’s Column, which represents permanence and stability.[1] The green color comes from the original Sanpaolo IMI trademark, and the wordmark features inclined “A” characters.[1]
Typography and Design
The Intesa Sanpaolo wordmark uses the Trajan font, named for the Roman lettering carved on Trajan’s Column in Rome.[1] The font and green color of the wordmark derive from the original Sanpaolo IMI brand identity.[5] The Trajan font creates a “cut out” or sculpted image even when simply printed on paper, and is described as a classic and ubiquitous font symbolizing security and stability.[5]
The square aqueduct icon uses four colors, each described as based on a natural element: orange/red representing the sun and energy, shades of green representing plants, growth and nature, shades of ocher representing earth, sand and work, and shades of blue representing air, water and sea.[5]
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