The BNP Paribas logo history, meaning and evolution 

BNP Paribas Logo

Are you familiar with BNP Paribas logo history? You might recognize the symbol of the BNP Paribas company if you’re familiar with the financial landscape. However, few people know where the unique design came from or what it should convey. 

BNP Paribas has earned significant attention over the years as one of the world’s leading banking groups. Like many banks and financial companies, the organization has updated, refined, and enhanced its visual identity as the market has evolved. 

Today, the venture’s logo aims to provide a unique insight into the personality and vision of the corporation. 

If you’ve ever wondered where the BNP Paribas logo began or found yourself exploring the history of various banking logos over the years, you’re in the right place. Today, we will take a behind-the-scenes look at the BNP Paribas emblem and its evolution.

What is BNP Paribas known for?

BNP Paribas is a French banking group, first founded in the year 2000. This makes it a relatively new financial institution when compared with some of the bigger banks around the world.

The company emerged due to a merger between the Banque Nationale De Paris (BNP) and the Paribas brand.

Currently, BNP Paribas is organized into three major business areas, focusing on Commercial, Personal Banking, and Services, as well as Investment and Protection and Corporate banking.

The company is the second-largest banking group in Europe, following HSBC, and it’s also the ninth-largest banking group in the world.

Despite legal difficulties in 2014, BNP Paribas has remained one of the ten largest banking groups worldwide.

How do you pronounce BNP Paribas?

The first part of the name is simple enough; you just pronounce each letter individually: B, N, P. The Paribas part of the name is pronounced: “Parr-I-Baa.”

Who owns BNP Paribas?

The formal name of the group’s parent is BNP Paribas S.A. The Chairman of the company is Jean Lemierre, and the current CEO at the time of writing is Jean-Laurent Bonnafe. At present, BNP has assets equaling around 2.6 trillion euros.

BNP Paribas logo history

As a relatively new banking institution compared to some of the other financial groups around the world today, BNP Paribas hasn’t had much opportunity to change its logo too many times. The emblem we know today is a variation of the design first introduced by the brand in the year 2000.

However, there have been some slight refinements to the design.

BNP Paribas Logo

2000

The original BNP Paribas logo wasn’t too different from the emblem most people are familiar with now. The image was created to identify the bank as a company focused on the future, growth, and ambition.

As such, the organization chose to use four stars alongside their wordmark, gradually morphing into the shape of birds.

The color green is also significant here. The shade is one commonly associated with wealth, ambition, and growth. As such, this color helps to highlight the values and vision of the company.

BNP Paribas Logo

2007

In 2007, BNP Paribas slightly changed its logo, although many of the core elements remained from the original design. The typeface used in the design was elongated slightly.

The flying stars were removed from around the first couple of letters in the wordmark and positioned in their own box. The birds are now depicted in white on a green background. The color green here is also slightly brighter than in the previous logo variation.

BNP Paribas Logo

2009

In 2009, BNP Paribas updated its logo again, attempting to make the image more refined, modern, and sophisticated. The majority of the design is almost exactly the same as the previous logo.

All of the same components remain. However, the emblem with the flying stars has been made more detailed, with a three-dimensional gradient.

The white stars are also slightly outlined in darker green to help them stand out from the background. The image is attractive, unique, and professional.

BNP Paribas logo meaning, colors, and fonts

For BNP Paribas, logo design has always been a way of conveying the unique values and vision of the brand. When the first variation of the emblem we know was introduced in the 2000s, the company said they wanted to tell their audience they had a vision for changing the world.

Every aspect of the BNP Paribas logo is infused with meaning. The stars in the emblem symbolize creativity, innovation, and excellence. The fact they’re transforming into bird shapes tells us the company is committed to constant forward motion and discovery.

The green coloring in the logo reminds us of wealth and transformation. Even the unique wordmark, depicted in a stylized sans-serif font, conveys BNP Paribas as being sophisticated and modern.

If you want to take a closer look at the BNP Paribas logo, you can find some useful resources here:

The BNP Paribas bank logo colors are one of the key factors which help them emblem to stand out in the financial market. The company chose its color palette with care.

The dark green coloring reminds us of money, wealth, and innovation. The black in the wordmark speaks of power, stability, and strength. The white stars, which transform into birds, tell us the company is committed to honesty, virtue, and vitality.

Some of the hex color codes you can see in the BNP Paribas bank logo color palette include the following:

Eton Blue:
Hex: #8BC8AA
RGB: (139, 200, 170)
CMYK: 0.305, 0, 0.15, 0.215

Green Sheen:
Hex: #6ABB97
RGB: (106, 187, 151)
CMYK: 0.433, 0, 0.192, 0.266

Medium Sea Green:
Hex: #39A87B
RGB: (57, 168, 123)
CMYK: 0.660, 0, 0.267, 0.341

Spanish Viridian:
Hex: #008755
RGB: (0, 135, 85)
CMYK: 1, 0, 0.370, 0.470

Bangladesh Green:
Hex: #007348
RGB: (0, 115, 72)
CMYK: 1, 0, 0.373, 0.549

What font does the BNP Paribas bank logo use?

The BNP Paribas logo font is unique to the company. However, it is similar to a few other sans-serif font choices, such as Genua Sans Bold and Logotypia Pro. The typeface was chosen to highlight the company’s modern and innovative nature. It’s clean, easy to read, and sophisticated.

Certain parts of the wordmark are particularly eye-catching, such as the R and the B, where the middle portions of the characters have their own unique white space.

The BNP Paribas logo history might be relatively short, but it offers a useful insight into the bank itself and how logos can evolve over the years.

Even as a relatively new banking institution, the BNP Paribas company has been consistently committed to delivering a clear message to its target audience.

Unlike many other banks, the organization has always seen the value of having a strong visual image to inspire and engage its customers.

When BNP Paribas started designing its logos, it wanted to convey a specific message about innovation, growth, and creativity. The company has been successful in its goal.

Today, the modern and eye-catching emblem is inspirational and excellent for differentiating the brand from some of the other major players in its industry.

Fabrik: A branding agency for our times.

Stephen Peate
Creative director
Stephen Peate
Creative director
As Fabrik’s creative director, Stephen oversees complex branding programmes. He advises our clients on their tone of voice, creates logos and visual identities and crafts names for companies, products and services. Writing for Brand Fabrik Stephen reflects his love for logo design and visual identity.

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