Marcus by Goldman Sachs is the consumer banking division of Goldman Sachs, launched in October 2016 as the firm’s first retail banking offering after nearly 150 years serving institutional clients.[1] The brand name honors Marcus Goldman, who founded Goldman Sachs in 1869.[2]
Design and History
The Marcus visual identity is a typographic wordmark. The U.S. trademark registration describes the mark as consisting of the word “Marcus:” above the wording “by Goldman Sachs.”[3] The two-line lockup places the consumer brand name prominently while the smaller endorsement line connects it to the parent firm, a structure that Goldman Sachs used deliberately to leverage the credibility of the Goldman name with mainstream consumers.[2]The brand was developed with the digital agency Elephant, which was involved in nearly every aspect of Marcus, from web and app design to media planning and buying, according to Adweek reporting from 2018.[4] The New York Times confirmed that the initial advertising campaign was created by Elephant.[1]In 2021, Goldman Sachs announced that the consumer bank would be renamed “Goldman Sachs Marcus,” leading with the parent company name instead of “Marcus by Goldman Sachs,” effective in 2022.[5] The change reflected a strategy to integrate the Marcus brand more closely with the Goldman Sachs legacy.[6]Meaning and Symbolism
The name Marcus was chosen to honor Marcus Goldman, the German immigrant who founded Goldman Sachs in 1869.[2] Goldman Sachs executives said the firm put considerable work into deciding how to brand its consumer product before settling on including the Goldman Sachs name, based on research showing that the institutional brand inspired confidence among consumers.[2]Typography and Design
Brand asset data for Marcus lists the colors Ebony Clay (#22263F), a deep navy, and Mariner (#2178C4), a brighter blue, along with white.[7] The brand asset listing also identifies Basis Grotesque Pro as the typeface associated with the Marcus brand.[7]Logo Index is an independent educational archive covering logos, visual identities and graphic design history. All trademarks and brand assets remain the property of their respective owners.
