The digital mobile-only bank took home four awards including the coveted titles of “Best Overall Visual Identity” and “Best Visual Identity in Financial Sector” given by one of branding industry’s most prestigious awards. 

Manama, Bahrain: ila Bank’s unique visual identity has impressed branding experts around the world as the year-old brand won the award for the “Best Overall Visual Identity”, Gold in “Best Visual Identity in Financial Services” and Silver in “Best External Stakeholder Relations during a Brand Development Project” categories at the Transform Awards- MEA, held in Dubai on 15 September 2020. ila was also highly commended for “Best Use of Typography” at the ceremony.

This big win for the fastest growing digital, mobile-only Bank in Bahrain powered by Bank ABC, MENA’s leading international bank, comes as a testament to its innovative DNA and the hard work and collaborative effort that went into developing and launching this truly unique brand.

ila’s brand is built around the concept of a journey and logo design is based on reflection- the English logo has been designed as a reflection of the Arabic in mind, keeping the brand promise at heart– “banking that reflects you”. The logo is playful, bold and dynamic, setting it apart from other brands in the financial world. The magic of this logo is that it is dual language; when flipped horizontally it can be read fluently in Arabic. Pairing bright green and navy blue, its striking colour palette is smart and futuristic. The typography is minimalist and fuss free, reinforcing the seamless efficiency of the banking app.

Arabic for the word ‘to’, ila encapsulates the Bank’s mission to reflect the needs of its users, propelling them on a journey from where they are ‘to’ where they aspire ‘to’ be in the future.

“We are thrilled to have received this remarkable recognition from the industry’s finest minds. Since inception, we set out to create an innovative and energetic brand that supports our strategic agenda to disrupt banking and spark a lifestyle movement. We knew we had created something special and this win reinforces our pride in what we have achieved. I would like to congratulate the entire ila team and everyone else who contributed to developing this brand,” remarks Bank ABC’s Deputy Group CEO and Chairman of ila bank’s Advisory board Mr. Sael Al Waary.

“ila’s energetic brand mirrors the spirit of the team that built it and who they built it for. This is indeed a wonderful achievement and I am incredibly humbled by this win. The brand serves as a continuous reminder of what ila stands for: a bank that listens, understands and acts on customer needs through an extremely personalised approach to banking and financial management, powered by cutting-edge technology, AI and data analytics,” remarks Mohamed Al Maraj, CEO, ila Bank Bahrain.

Bank ABC Group Head of Communications, Fatema Yusuf added, “We are delighted to receive these awards, which attests to the great team effort and months of hard work. The smart play on the word ‘ila’ embodies the essence of the offering, which is ‘naturally smart’ and is indicative of our objective to enrich our customers’ lives with banking solutions that mirror their changing needs, goals and aspirations.

We share this recognition with SuperUnion, our branding partner, and Bladonmore for their innovative communication support during the launch.”

Dedicated to the global rebranding and brand development industry, Transform MEA is organised by the UK based Transform magazine to recognise excellence in brand development, brand advancement and visual identity rebranding based on a number of criteria such as content, strategy, execution, type and business sector. The awards also celebrate the most innovative, creative and successful brand work across the world, including the MENA region.