Samsung Life Insurance is a South Korean life insurance company and a subsidiary of the Samsung Group. Founded in 1957, it is one of the country’s leading insurers. Its visual identity has historically been tied to the broader Samsung corporate brand, but in 2022 the company adopted a new corporate identity as part of a coordinated rebrand across Samsung’s financial affiliates.
Design and History
For nearly three decades, Samsung Life Insurance used the Samsung Group’s corporate identity, which was launched in March 1993 and featured the familiar blue oval mark. That changed in 2022 when Samsung Life, along with Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance, Samsung Card, Samsung Securities, and Samsung Asset Management, introduced new individual corporate identities (CI) effective July 1, 2022. The new CI removed the oval mark that had been a signature element of the Samsung logo since 1993. The change marked the first CI update for the financial affiliates in 29 years. [1]
The rebrand followed the April 2022 launch of “Samsung Financial Networks,” a joint brand identity (BI) created for the five financial affiliates. The new BI was introduced to strengthen collaboration among the companies and project a forward-looking image in a rapidly changing financial environment. [2]
The new CI for each financial company, including Samsung Life, was designed to feel rounder and softer than the previous logo, using lowercase lettering and a friendlier typeface. The companies stated the design was intended to emphasize a young and flexible “Samsung Finance” image. [3] The financial affiliates distributed a “Samsung Finance Design Guidebook” to standardize the application of the new identity across signage, websites, and printed materials. [4]
Outdoor signage at the headquarters buildings in Seoul’s Seocho district and at the Samsung Finance Campus was replaced on July 1, 2022, with other locations and materials updated progressively. Overseas branches were allowed to continue using the old oval mark for one to two years before fully transitioning. [5]
Meaning and Symbolism
The 2022 Samsung Financial Networks BI retained Samsung’s signature blue color, which the companies described as a symbol of the Samsung brand. The new wordmark used a rounded, geometric typeface to convey a young and flexible image, while the use of lowercase letters was intended to communicate a consumer-friendly and approachable character. [6]
The removal of the oval mark was a deliberate departure from the previous identity. Samsung’s financial affiliates said the new CI was meant to add a flexible brand image on top of the trust and stability associated with the Samsung name. [7]
Typography and Design
The new Samsung Financial Networks BI used a custom Samsung typeface described as rounded yet geometric, set in lowercase. The companies stated the typography was chosen to express a young and flexible image. [6] The individual CIs for Samsung Life and the other financial affiliates were designed to share the same look and feel as the joint BI. [8]
The rebrand also extended to business cards. In addition to the existing white card, blue, yellow, and green cards were introduced, with each color tied to a concept: blue for trust and financial expertise, yellow for warmth, and green for ESG and social contribution. The card designs were developed through an employee idea contest. [4]
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