Rebrand Proposals

Lewis and Clark Bank, an Oregon business-focussed institution named after the famous intrepid explorers who ‘discovered’ Oregon and the Pacific North West, acquired a local consumer-focussed bank.

Intending to bring both banks together as one, they considered a rebrand with a more consumer‑friendly face, prompting an RFP from a local agency, who called me in for the job.

I explored three territories*: a measured refresh, a contemporary and friendly take, and something more powerful. I took into account their probable creative budget and regional and target considerations for the looks and feels, and even easy-access Adobe CC font licensing.

All versions had ample reasoning — see captions, taken from the deck. I wrote these descriptions as part of my presentation to the agency, who liked them enough to use them for the RFP.

In the end, the bank chose not to rebrand due to expense. You know banks — they like to hoard money if at all possible. It’s what they do.

*Pun accidental.

[ For Lewis & Clark Bank ]

V1: The Modern Refresh
A simple refresh of their existing logo.
Updated fonts — one already familiar to the brand — and refined typography make this a smooth brand transition.
The ampersand, which formerly overshadowed the names of the explorers themselves, now gets equal billing. Lewis and Clark were worthy explorers as individuals, but their partnership is key.
An embedded compass pointer represents Lewis and Clark’s famous occupation as well as the bank providing clear direction for our customers.


V2: The Icon
A more thorough update includes connected iconography.
As the famous explorers approached the end of their journey, they would have glimpsed lush green in the far distance. Only through their telescopes would they have seen a clearer picture of the pine forests so iconic of your region.
This is what we see brought to life in this new logo icon: detail within the ’scope, lack of clarity without.
It speaks to how partnering with the Bank can help its customers envision and achieve their bright futures.


V3: The Blank Slate
Solidly in alignment with latest brand design trends, confidently simple typography is paired with an abstract yet meaningful geometric shape.
This approach celebrates the story of the brand and its logo which can be brought to life with animation and weaved into marketing messages to connect great explorations with our own journeys in business and life.
Even as a still execution, the path — that of the journey toward NW discovery — winds around the letters like a path through the wilderness.
The ampersand is bright red to deliver emphasis to the value of partnership. Scalability is explored down to icon level. Bright colors complete the modern design language.