CASE STUDY
Ives Bank A Legacy, Transformed
After 175 years as Savings Bank of Danbury, a storied institution steps into a new identity built to carry it forward.
THE OPPORTUNITY
Modernize a 175-year-old institution.
When Savings Bank of Danbury, a 175-year-old institution, set out to modernize its image and expand its market reach, the team faced significant brand identity challenges — outdated naming conventions and impersonal acronyms that no longer reflected who the bank had become.
The work was clear: honor the legacy, lose the baggage, and build a name with room to grow.
WHERE WE STARTED
Savings Bank of Danbury.
The original mark and name carried 175 years of equity but tied the brand to a single geography and an era of banking that no longer fit the institution’s ambition.
A rebrand wasn’t about erasing the past — it was about giving the next chapter a name it could live up to.
THE TRANSITION
22 names. 5 finalists. 1 winner.
Working with a dedicated naming group, we ran a systematic evaluation — narrowing 22 candidates to 5 through qualitative focus groups, quantitative online panels across New York and Connecticut, stakeholder workshops, and full legal vetting.
The result: Ives Bank — a name with strategic market portability, a narrative that connects to the founding family, and particular appeal to younger demographics.
A name built to travel beyond Danbury without leaving Danbury behind.
THE NEW MARK
Ives Bank.
The new wordmark balances confidence and warmth — modern enough to feel current, classic enough to honor 175 years of trust.
DESIGN DIRECTION
Modern, but unmistakably theirs.
Initial bold, contemporary concepts featured vibrant colors and sleek typography aimed squarely at younger demographics. After working through the strategy with stakeholders, we shifted toward a traditional approach — balancing modernity with classic elements that maintain the connection to long-time patrons.
The result respects who Ives has always been while making room for who it’s becoming.
STATIONERY
A system that lives on every desk.
From business cards to letterhead, the new identity rolls out across every printed touchpoint — quiet, consistent, and unmistakably Ives.
PRODUCT
Cards customers want to carry.
The new debit cards translate the identity into the most personal banking object of all — the thing in your wallet that says who you bank with.
THE CAMPAIGN
Drum Roll.
A multi-channel "Drum Roll" launch campaign generated substantial community excitement around the change — print, out-of-home, digital, and in-branch all working in concert.
The rebrand officially launched November 4, 2024.
OUT OF HOME
On the streets where they live.
Kiosks, flags, and outdoor placements brought the new identity into the community — turning a rebrand into a moment the whole region could see.
DIGITAL
On every screen.
Website, app, and in-branch displays all picked up the new identity — translating the wordmark, palette, and tone into the digital surfaces customers touch every day.
MERCHANDISE
The brand on your desk.
Branded merchandise — mugs, swag, and giveaways — extended the new Ives identity into the small daily objects that keep the bank present in customers' lives between transactions.
BUILDING
On the corner of Main Street.
Branch signage made the change visible on the corner — translating the new identity into architectural scale and giving long-time customers a familiar door with a new name above it.
FLAG
Flying the new colors.
Outdoor flag signage took the Ives identity to street level — a quiet, daily reminder that the bank had stepped into its next chapter without leaving its community behind.
A campaign that reads.
Additional print placements carried the launch message across regional publications — supporting the broader campaign and reinforcing the new identity in the channels long-time customers still trust most.
THE RESULTS
The numbers.
35%
Brand awareness among prime targets — exceeding local market norms
+7%
Customer consideration lift among non-customers — surpassing regional benchmarks
175
Years of legacy carried into a new chapter
Ives Bank now has the name, identity, and system to compete well beyond Danbury — while keeping every long-time customer feeling at home.
A rebrand done right doesn’t erase a legacy. It earns the right to extend it.