Creating a brand for a start-up bank.

• Position: ABAMN Financial Marketing Awards: Branding; Runner-Up; Asset Size; Under $500 Million - Progress Federal Savings Bank - Brief article

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Institution: Progress Bank, Huntsville, Ala.

Agency: Financial Marketing Solutions, Franklin, Tenn.

The challenge: When a team of seasoned bankers decided to start a new bank in a highly competitive, metropolitan market, they needed an identity and brand that was as different, attention-getting and as memorable as their chosen corporate name: Progress Bank. However, the brand needed to be relatively conservative and extremely professional to suit the cultural climate of the community. As the only state-chartered, locally owned and managed commercial bank in two counties, they wanted to be a traditional bank with traditional values, but one that delivered this message in a very contemporary way.

Being new, the bank had the opportunity to build a strong, clear brand perception from the start. In keeping with the name, they began with compelling, progressive graphics; the dynamic logo was paired with a visually parallel...