Huntington National Bank rebrand underlines US-wide ambitions
Originally a regional bank headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Huntington opted to venture beyond the American Midwest, aiming to become a national powerhouse. With over 150 years of heritage, the rebranding project by Koto needed to build on the company’s existing customer base while also successfully attracting a new generation of customers.
By positioning Huntington between fintechs and traditional banks as a ‘sophisticated’ alternative, Koto devised “Abundance is a Craft” as the new brand idea. The international creative agency kept Huntington’s people-first philosophy in mind, while also leveraging historic brand elements including type and iconography, when crafting its new identity.
Crucial to the updated brand is its bespoke Huntington Serif typeface. Elegant in nature, it’s accompanied by the clean and functional ABC Monument Grotesk that excels online.
The new wordmark, which includes new letterforms, represents trust, structure and upward movement. The addition of the optimistic and vibrant Huntington Abundant Green – along with its Dark Teal and Magenta and Teal accents – support these new additions, hoping to add a human touch to the brand.
Elsewhere, new iconography – that includes its 3D ‘achievement seals’ – adds a finesse to the revised brand, while its motion language underscores Huntington's credentials of truly caring about the customer.
Ru Soylu, client director at Koto, says, “Our role was to translate Huntington’s legacy into something that could carry them confidently into the next chapter. This wasn’t about inventing a new story, but about revealing the values already embedded in the company, and making them resonate with a broader, more modern audience.
“‘Abundance is a Craft’ gave us a lens to talk about wealth in a way that feels personal, grounded, and optimistic. It helped shift the brand from transactional to intentional, without losing its core of trust and care.”
The Huntington brand system has also been expanded with the creation of two spin-offs. Its Commercial Banking incorporates a sharp palette and clean typographic system, while its Wealth Management positions financial planning as both science and art.
“Our new identity isn’t just a change in how we look – it's a bold signal of where the bank is headed,” adds Vijay Konduru, chief marketing officer at Huntington Bank. “Our refreshed brand system retains the best parts of Huntington’s history and reflects a shift in how we’re thinking about banking: it’s more personal, more proactive and built with customers at the centre. It honours the foundation we’ve built while positioning Huntington to grow, evolve and make an even greater impact as we work to be the leading people-first, customer-centred bank in the country.”
