As the world’s largest and most influential fiduciary, BlackRock had found themselves in a precarious place in 2017. They had been historically lumped with Wall Street (even though they are decidedly not part of it), and were facing imposition from established and emerging technology brands. They engaged The creative agency to transform the visual identity in an effort to counteract these challenges and to express an empathetic new purpose: We help more and more people experience financial well-being.

There were two overarching challenges for The creative agency h to solve. The first was to express the new purpose in a differentiated, impactful way while maintaining trust in the brand. The second was to design a system that would endure for the long-term. The new VIS would need to resonate globally and act as a foundation for the rest of the BlackRock family, including iShares and Aladdin.

With nearly $7 trillion in assets under management, it’s difficult to describe BlackRock without mentioning their size. Exactly the problem. We sought to change the conversation, and to shake off irrelevant negative associations with finance.

A sense of calculated irreverence runs through the entire identity—from the inclusion of the color pink, to witty illustration and a highly-curated image library. Every element is intended to warmly connect with audiences on a level that most in the financial category don’t consider.

We redrew the logotype to have more confident heft, and to be both distinctive and timeless. The category is a sea of blues and greens, so we introduced a warmer color palette, with no blue in sight. A whimsical, but appropriate, illustration style aids in the communication of complex ideas. Typography is influenced by the new wordmark, and communicates with clarity across all media.

The new visual identity launched in the U.S. in May 2020 and is continuing to roll out globally.

“A core component of our brief was to develop distinctive visual assets that will stand the test of time. When the agency began their work with us, BlackRock didn’t have any visual equities, except for maybe the wordmark. We chose the agency because they are experts in using the power of design to transform global brands. They understand our business and help us see our brand’s potential today and in the future.” - Frank Cooper, BlackRock Global CMO