Security Pacific National Bank was a major West Coast banking institution that merged into Bank of America in 1992. Its visual identity is closely associated with the work of designer Saul Bass, who created the bank’s logo in 1966.[1]
Design and History
Saul Bass designed the Security Pacific Bank logo in 1966.[1] The mark was part of a broader corporate identity program. In 1979, the bank commissioned Saul Bass and Associates of Los Angeles to design a corporate identification program for Security Pacific, including a new logo.[2] The firm’s work for Security Pacific Bank was featured in the 1979 special issue of IDEA magazine devoted to Saul Bass and Associates, which documented the studio’s corporate identification programs.[3]
The bank’s name changed over time. Security First National Bank became Security Pacific National Bank in 1967.[1] The bank merged into Bank of America Corporation on April 22, 1992.[1]
Meaning and Symbolism
The logo features a large “S” as the central symbol. A Security Pacific Bank MasterCard held in the British Museum collection shows the bank name and logo, described as a large “S,” at the top of the card.[4] A related trademark filed by Security First National Bank in 1967 describes a mark consisting of “two fanciful representations of the letter ‘S,'” with first use recorded on October 5, 1966.[5]
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