Designhouse, an established branding and digital agency, has partnered with leading investment bank Numis to deliver a bold brand identity aligned with a new phase of strategic growth. The identity – centred around a cornerstone ‘doorway’ logo – will support Numis’ expansion into new markets and enable it to build on its existing track record in the UK investment sector for acting as the bridge between ambitious companies and those that want to back them.

A relentless focus on creative thinking and long-term partnerships with its clients is the reason that Numis is now one of the UK’s leading investment banks. Despite this, a highly competitive City marketplace and ongoing flux within the financial sector globally meant that Numis’ old brand identity was unable to credibly shake off legacy perceptions that it was “just a corporate broker”.

Designhouse was tasked with creating an identity which reflected where Numis is today, and where it will grow to in the future; an investment bank which delivers fresh thinking to truly unlock the potential within companies disrupting the status quo. Underpinned by extensive strategic analysis of Numis’ competitive landscape, the new identity comprises a fresh tone of voice, visual style, brand strapline, logo, internal and external communications and marketing collateral.

At the heart of the brand is a bold new logo. Rendered in a bespoke typeface, its lower-case form confidently differentiates Numis and more accurately reflects the personal approach delivered by the investment bank. The logo is inspired by a hero graphic created from the distinctive ‘doorway shape’ of the negative space within the lower-case letter ‘n’ – symbolising how Numis opens doors to capital investment for those who want to innovate, but also the limitless potential of the firm’s own diversification across geographies. Also acting as a flexible design system, the door device appears across all brand touchpoints, accompanied by a new strapline: ‘New thinking. New opportunities.’

Numis’ unique approach is further reflected in the colour palette of the new brand identity. A dark navy blue has been replaced with a bold and optimistic cobalt, supported by fresh white, sophisticated midnight blue, and a secondary palette of bright colours such as ice green, flamingo, and tiger. This palette keeps the brand firmly anchored within the familiar ‘blue space’ of the finance sector while providing greater flexibility to express its more colourful, forward-thinking personality when needed.

Noreen Biddle-Shah, Head of Marketing and Communications at Numis, commented: “As UK equity market leaders, we needed a brand identity that felt as fresh as our approach to investment banking and that firmly set us apart as we continue to grow. Designhouse excelled in getting to know who Numis are as people, who we are as a brand, and what makes us different, turning this into a fully-fledged brand identity that perfectly reflects where we are, and where we are going. We can’t wait to roll it out across the whole business.”

Matt Gillman, Design Director at Designhouse, commented: “We wanted to create an identity which did justice to Numis’ unique approach to investment banking. The ‘doorway’ brand hero graphic is a memorable and distinctive device that underpins the whole identity. Shown in full, the ‘doorway’ leads to colourful abstract visuals and animations, symbolising the dynamic business opportunities that Numis creates for clients. The way that we visualise those opportunities, playfully revealing the doorway’s architecture – encapsulates Numis’s mission – working together, we find new ideas, new opportunities and new doors to open.”

To comprehensively bring the new identity to life, Designhouse also created animations and films for use on the new Numis website, dedicated image banks for the brand to use across all communications, and a new brand book that introduces the vision Designhouse has created for Numis to all staff, stakeholders, clients and partners. Designhouse also designed a variety of merchandise, such as a tote bag, water bottle, wireless charger, umbrella and laptop case, to mark the launch of this exciting new era for Numis.