Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) is the core banking subsidiary of Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (SMFG), formed through the April 2001 merger of The Sakura Bank and The Sumitomo Bank. Its visual identity centers on the “Rising Mark,” a symbol of three quadrangles arranged in an upward-sloping curve, paired with the SMBC abbreviation and the bank’s English name in a coordinated mark unit.
Design and History
The Rising Mark was unveiled on November 16, 2000, in advance of the bank’s launch on April 1, 2001. The symbol consists of three quadrangles arranged in a positive-sloping curve, designed to emphasize a sense of rhythm and express growth and development that is sometimes dynamic and sometimes steady. The name “Rising Mark” reflects the bank’s hope to enjoy positive development together with its customers, shareholders and society at large by continually providing valuable services.[1]
In April 2018, SMFG introduced a new group brand strategy, establishing “SMBC” as the group’s master brand and “SMBC Group” as the group name. A new group logo was introduced at the same time, replacing the previous SMFG-based group identity. The new logo retained SMFG’s corporate colors, featuring a trad green background with a fresh green Rising Mark and “SMBC” in white block letters.[2] The bank’s own logo is now composed of the SMBC Group logo combined with the company name.[3]
The 2018 rebrand was driven by the group’s desire to strengthen brand value and group cohesion. “SMBC” was chosen as the master brand over “SMFG” due to the high recognition of the SMBC brand, particularly overseas, and because adopting SMFG would have required renaming group companies that already carried the SMBC name.[4]
Meaning and Symbolism
The Rising Mark’s three quadrangles are designed to emphasize a sense of rhythm, expressing growth and development that is sometimes dynamic and sometimes steady.[1] The symbol represents the bank’s hope for positive development together with its customers, shareholders and society.[1]
SMBC’s corporate colors are “fresh green” and “trad green.” Fresh green, described as the color of young grass, is used in the Rising Mark and expresses youthfulness, intellect and gentleness. Trad green, a deep, dark green, is mainly used in the background of the Rising Mark and in the lettering of the bank’s name, representing tradition, reliability and stability.[1]
Typography and Design
The bank’s total design system coordinates the Rising Mark, corporate colors, the “SMBC” abbreviation and the bank’s English name (SUMITOMO MITSUI BANKING CORPORATION) as a unified mark unit.[1] The 2018 group logo places “SMBC” in white block letters against a trad green background, with the fresh green Rising Mark.[2]
Design drawings related to the 2000 logo project are held in the Alan Chan Project Archives at M+ museum in Hong Kong, indicating the involvement of designer Alan Chan in the original identity work.[5]
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