MetLife, the insurance and financial services company founded in 1868, introduced its current logo in October 2016 as part of a global rebrand. The mark consists of a blue and green stylized “M” formed by two interlocking shapes, accompanied by the MetLife wordmark and the tagline “Navigating life together.” [1]
Design and History
MetLife announced its new global brand platform on October 20, 2016, describing it as the most significant change to the brand in over 30 years. The rebrand marked the end of MetLife’s long association with Snoopy and the Peanuts characters, which had been part of the company’s advertising since 1985. [2] [3]
The new identity was created by Prophet, an agency and brand consultancy that had worked with MetLife for about a year to redefine its overall brand strategy. The rebrand followed extensive consumer research, including surveys of more than 55,000 customers worldwide. [4] Craig Stout, associate partner and creative director at Prophet, said the logo was designed to represent the desired personality of the brand: “We created a symbol that could tell that story, two pieces coming together creating a new monogram.” [5]
MetLife’s official brand guidelines describe the symbol as comprising “two simple shapes that come together to create an ‘M.'” [6] The rollout was gradual across markets, with some regions phasing in the new logo over the course of 2017. [7]
Meaning and Symbolism
According to MetLife’s official brand materials, the two shapes coming together in the “M” symbolize the partnership between the company and its customers. The blue color reflects MetLife’s brand heritage, while the green, new to the company’s palette, represents growth and vitality. [6] MetLife’s Chinese-language brand story similarly describes the blue as carrying forward the brand’s visual legacy with a brightened tone for a more modern feel, and the green as representing life, renewal and energy. [8]
Prophet described the symbol as representing “the idea of a lifelong partnership between MetLife and its customers.” [4]
Typography and Design
MetLife’s official brand architecture guidelines identify the company’s primary typefaces for communications as Utopia and Circular. [9] The brand guidelines also specify that the logo should be reproduced in full color on a white background whenever possible, and that gradients, alternate colors and other color combinations are not permitted. [10]
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.
