Case Study
Evolving a Legacy Without Losing Its Trust!
Designed by Sideways, Federal Bank’s identity refresh balances digital ambition with decades of relationship-led equity, guided by its philosophy of “Rishta.”
Client: Federal Bank
Service: Brand Identity Refresh
Design Partner: Sideways
Federal Bank set out to refresh its brand identity to stay relevant in a fast-changing banking environment and strengthen its position among India’s leading private sector banks. The goal was to create a modern identity while retaining the trust and familiarity the brand has built over time.
The focus was on building a scalable brand world that works seamlessly across digital and physical touchpoints, reflecting Federal Bank’s Indian roots and forward-looking digital capabilities, aligned with its philosophy of “Rishta.”
The existing identity lacked emotional warmth. Rigid structures limited adaptability across touchpoints. The overall expression felt transactional rather than relationship-led. This created a gap between the bank's digital ambitions and its human-centric philosophy.
The strategy was to evolve Federal Bank’s identity while staying true to its legacy. The aim was to create a unified brand system that feels modern, human, and future-ready, while carrying forward a legacy recognised by generations of customers, aligning with the aspirations of a younger, digitally empowered audience. The refreshed system strengthens recall, adapts seamlessly across touchpoints, and creates a cohesive brand world across the bank’s complete portfolio, reinforcing Federal Bank’s positioning as a progressive, relationship-driven institution guided by its philosophy of Rishta.
Sideways began with an intensive discovery phase that combined brand and category immersion, competitor analysis, and hands-on stakeholder workshops. This helped uncover aspirations and anxieties, behavioural insights, market gaps, and the strategic levers needed to build a future-ready identity.
The brand symbol was reimagined into the Fortuna Wave insignia, symbolising Authenticity, Togetherness, and Prosperity. Designed as a dynamic, open form, the Fortuna Wave acts like an empty vessel, adapting across contexts to tell different stories and narratives. The wordmark shifted from uppercase to sentence case to feel more approachable and inclusive, while retaining the italic style and yellow underline to preserve Federal Bank's visual familiarity and sense of partnership.
The identity system features a refreshed colour palette that stays anchored in the brand's recognisable associations while introducing a more vibrant, contemporary expression. Designed with a digital-first mindset, it makes Federal Blue more dynamic and expands beyond traditional blue and yellow to convey modernity, youthfulness, and agility. This is complemented by warm humanist typography, a tone of voice that felt like a go-to friend, and candid photography capturing everyday moments.
Since early 2025, Sideways has been working as Federal Bank's brand transformation partner across various workstreams. The next chapter in this journey, a refreshed retail experience design, is set to launch soon.
