Metropol

The branch in Edinburgh's Corstorphine has got a weird design. All it is, is plain red pretty much! It has got a sideways Abbey logo sticking out of it (so people can see it when they are approaching).

The one up in Princes Stress is completely different. It used to have 'Abbey National' in a small box thing with a dark background and gold writing. They have now replaced it with 'Abbey' but it has no colouring in it except the gold. Probably because it would look out of place with the old Edinburgh buildings.

Blob from TVForum wrote:the good news is that they seem to be keeping with the "faded edges" look for the consumer side

Something I read somewhere in the depths of this interweb thingy said that, on the consumer side, they were keeping the fadey logo but adding the little flame thing next to it.

Andrew Wood wrote:

nodnirG kraM wrote:That's an absolutely terrible logo!! At least the Abbey National logo was distinctive - this one's just another logo...

And someone else's to boot!

Actually, that's got me thinking - what other examples are there of this?

Central becoming Carlton-ified is one that springs to mind.

HSBC give almost all of their takeovers the HSBC style logo.

Witness CCF in France. http://www.ccf.fr

tillyoshea wrote:Something I read somewhere in the depths of this interweb thingy said that, on the consumer side, they were keeping the fadey logo but adding the little flame thing next to it.

This seems to suggest I'm wrong:

In addition to hoisting the new logo on its branches, Abbey will begin refurbishing 250 outlets initially. It also intends to relocate one in four of them.

Seems a shame to waste £11million one year on. I like the current look aswell.

Martin wrote:Seems a shame to waste £11million one year on. I like the current look aswell.

So do I. I didn't like the multi-coloured logo they used a while back (gone now I think) but i've always liked the style of the logo itself.

Brad wrote:

Andrew Wood wrote: what other examples are there of this?

Rediffusion? And didn't HSBC use their current font
for a while whilst they were still Midland Bank?

Between scrapping the famous "Griffin" logo, and rebranding to HSBC . . .

Antz wrote:

Martin wrote:Seems a shame to waste £11million one year on. I like the current look aswell.

So do I. I didn't like the multi-coloured logo they used a while back (gone now I think) but i've always liked the style of the logo itself.

What multicoloured logo? All they've ever had is

A) Couple and Umbrella (before that just the lettering from this logo was used)
B) 'Abbey National' in a plain red font (same one as iceland.co.uk)
C) abbey - with the faded edges - set on a background of either vile silver-blue, vile pink, vile lime-crush green, or vile apple-and-blackcurrant purple
D) ...and now the Grupo Santander generic version.

And as I said at the top of this thread, the now outgoing style is something I'm glad we're going to see the back of. I loathe it, and I can't wait for this new re-brand.

That said, it makes me wonder why they spent so much money on it in the first place. They must have been at least planning to be bought by somebody and therefore have to change its logo again. It does seem a waste of time and money.

Safeway spent loads of cash before Morrisons took them over. A newly tarted up company is more attractive than a run down one.

Blob from TVForum wrote:the good news is that they seem to be keeping with the "faded edges" look for the consumer side

Possibly not. The branch in Central Milton Keynes now sports the red flame fascia. Cash machines and all internal signage has been changed too.

The smaller branch inside the Midsummer Place shopping mall is still pale blue and fuzzy.

I am absolutely horrified to see the incoming logo for Abbey. Its the blandest, most boring use of typography since... I dont know when, it make's Morrison's logo look fresh, friendly and appealing!!!