Evolving into a household name
For Bank of America, it began with a vision: to bring together a full suite of financial services that gives customers better ways to manage their financial lives and businesses. The then-San Francisco-based financial institution expanded in pursuit of realizing this vision, culminating in the 1998 merger of its parent company, BankAmerica Corp., with Charlotte-based NationsBank. At the time, it was the largest banking M&A in history. The move created the very first coast-to-coast retail bank and set the stage for Bank of America to enter other sectors through subsequent acquisitions, like private banking for high-net worth individuals and credit card issuing.
As the organization expanded, it became more important than ever to maintain and grow a consistent brand presence. As a trusted environmental branding partner since 1992, Monigle has established and executed against design standards that have helped knit together every aspect of Bank of America’s financial services — from retail banking, home loans, and wealth management to over 16,000 ATM locations.
Never lost in translation
In its acquisition of Merrill Lynch — still one of the biggest deals in Wall Street history — Bank of America strengthened its position in markets across the world. Expanding internationally requires a high degree of oversight and quality control. Each international market added presents a big, important question: How can we deliver on our brand story with design that aligns with this country’s values, tone and culture, without losing our brand identity?
The answer is always different, but it often means carefully modifying expression. Following the Merrill Lynch acquisition, the team sought to balance the equity of the two brands, considering the strength of each across markets to fully capitalize on the power of both brands. The result was two distinct enterprise signage strategies — one international, one domestic — that also accounted for exception countries.
A continual opportunity to re-examine and refresh
Because the ATM experience is such a prominent customer touchpoint, accessibility to all services for each and every customer is a top priority for Bank of America. This means staying on top of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations. By continually refreshing ATMs, Bank of America ensures both that customers are able to access the machines, and that the machines are always equipped with the latest technology.
As it upgrades its ATMS, Bank of America assesses every design decision from multiple perspectives to ensure:
- ADA compliance
- The latest in technology and innovation
- Environmentally sustainability and responsible resourcing
- Cost-efficient
- Unmatched service to customers
Bank of America views environmental branding as a key driver of brand value and a way to express the core tenets of the brand.
The evolution continues
Today, as measured by assets, Bank of America is one of the top-10 banks in the world. It’s achieved its position not only through a series of savvy acquisitions but also because of its investment in environmental branding. Bank of America views it as a key driver of brand value and a way to express the core tenets of the brand. As the brand continues to evolve, Bank of America brand leaders continually review the company’s environmental branding program and signage assets to ensure optimal expression of the brand. Through it all, over the course of a three-decade partnership, we’ve been — and continue to be — there to support Bank of America in the evolution of its brand.
By continually refreshing ATMs, Bank of America ensures both that customers are able to access the machines, and that the machines are always equipped with the latest technology.
16,000 ATMs
As it continually updates its network of ATMs across the country, Bank of America is rolling out support for cash withdrawal using Apple Pay.
50 States
Bank of America has presence in every state, as well as Washington, D.C., the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
#2 By assets
One of the “big four” banks, Bank of America is the second-largest bank in the U.S. by assets.
4 million Served
In the U.S., Bank of America serves approximately 47 million consumer and small business relationships.
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