Laurel Road is a digital banking platform and brand of KeyBank, offering student loan refinancing, mortgages, checking and savings accounts, and credit cards. The brand was created in 2017 as the rebranded online lending division of Darien Rowayton Bank (DRB), a Connecticut-chartered community bank founded in 2006. KeyBank completed its acquisition of Laurel Road’s digital lending business in April 2019.
Design and History
In June 2017, Darien Rowayton Bank announced that its online lending division, including its ADA-endorsed student loan refinancing program, was officially renamed Laurel Road. The rebrand included a new logo, visual identity, and website. The company stated the new name and logo allowed it to freshly position the national online lending business and highlight its focus on the customer experience.[1][2]
The identity was developed by the New York office of international branding agency Brand Union.[3] Brand Union also created the name itself, which was designed to reflect the role an online lender plays in the aspirations of its customers. Brand Union associate director for strategy Jessica Lehmann explained: “The name itself, ‘Laurel Road,’ speaks to the path that people tread on their way to success, and was a real source of inspiration for how we brought the brand to life.”[3][4]
Brand Union also developed the strapline “Rewarding determination,” which acts with double meaning, being reminiscent of both the student’s educational motives and the lender’s financial role.[3] The design emphasized the journey, using imagery and visual cues to connote roads and paths, while incorporating the idea of freedom one feels when financially unburdened.[4]
In February 2018, the parent bank itself began transitioning its name from Darien Rowayton Bank to Laurel Road Bank, with new signage installed at its Darien branch.[5]
KeyBank announced a definitive agreement to acquire Laurel Road’s digital lending business in January 2019, and the acquisition was completed on April 3, 2019.[6][7]
Meaning and Symbolism
The Laurel Road name combines two metaphors. The Latinate “laurel” references academic achievement, as in poet laureate or the phrase “resting on one’s laurels,” while “road” captures the metaphorical journey of academic progress and discovery. The name was selected from a top three list by the client for its relative sophistication and trademarkability.[8]
According to a Laurel Road FAQ cited at the time of the rebrand, “The name embodies both the journey (i.e. ‘Road’) it takes for our customers to achieve their life goals and the inherent satisfaction once those goals are earned.”[1]
Typography and Design
Brand Union’s credits for the Laurel Road identity include Executive Creative Director Sam Becker, Design Director Karen Yau, Designer Jacob Lindell, and Associate Director of Strategy Jessica Lehmann.[4]
A federal court decision describing Laurel Road advertisements noted the brand’s use of a blue background, white sans serif font, and hierarchal, left-aligned text, with a logo described as yellow with white endpoints.[9]
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