BNP Paribas had a lot of important information to share with their retail customers. Information about saving money, growing businesses, protecting homes. But their long-unchanged visual style wasn’t helping to reach people. Like their logo, everything was very square – and, as a result, it felt harsh, corporate and hard to digest.

When BNP Paribas asked us to help create a new visual approach, we decided to tone down the squareness, adding some fun and energy while retaining the gravity that comes with a corporate brand. It was potentially a tricky job. But we didn’t cut corners – just softened them a little.

Inspired by the visual style of mobile apps, we gave BNP Paribas a new graphic language, including icons, typography and illustration. The whole approach was much rounder, so felt warmer and more modern. And it was more rhythmic: the elements could come together in charts and narratives, helping customers to understand processes and services beat by beat.

The BNP Paribas team took our concepts and worked them up rigorously, turning them into a detailed system that could be applied across all materials. In fact, the new graphic language was so successfully received that it has been called best practice, not just for retail customers but for all communications. All of which shows how a small job for us had a huge impact on an international bank – and its many customers.