Nottingham Building Society’s rebrand has attracted accusations of being “woke” after the company removed Robin Hood from its logo.
The new logo uses a more vibrant yellow and green colour palette and a more modern style sans-serif font. The mutual has already moved its website and social media channels over to the new branding, with the broker portal set to follow in November.
The goal of the rebrand is to champion financial diversity by “redefining mutuals to reflect today’s Britain.” The mutual aims to help people achieve home ownership regardless of individual circumstances.
The Nottingham will support the marketing with a commitment to customer service, including “user-friendly systems, top-notch communication and new tech that keeps a personal touch.”
“We’re a financially diverse society. And more so than ever before.
“But whether you’re self-employed in your 20s, a first-time buyer in your 40s, or a retiree in your 70s, we don’t believe the system as it works today recognises your individuality.
“Every single one of us has different circumstances, motivations, and ways of managing money. That’s financial diversity.
“We’re building a different kind of building society. One that represents borrowing and saving for the real world. For today’s way of doing things.”
However, some including former Tory minister Alec Selbrooke have attacked the brand for the “woke” decision to remove the icon of the Nottingham folk hero from the logo.
It is unclear exactly why removing Robin Hood from the logo would be motivated by “wokeness”, but it seems unlikely that the decision was somehow politically motivated. The changes to the logo are similar to simplifications that other brands have undergone to make them more digital-friendly. It also exemplifies the brand’s focus on modern, tech-enabled customer service.
