Zenit Contemporary Bank

Where past and future meet

CampbellRigg was asked to develop a strategic positioning and visual identity fit for a bank category and elevate it to unprecedented levels. Zenit wanted to engage with customers with a new brand image to confirm the reliability of the bank through the presence of the Tatneft shareholding. The branch environment design encourages customers to discuss all their financial needs and to build a sense of trust. It is a very contemporary, organised and professional branch concept without barriers associated with traditional transaction-based banking.

Stipulated in the creative brief was a requirement for very contemporary styling to the interior design of the branch environment more akin to an Art Gallery installation. The hope is to set a new trend in the Russian financial retail market.

The concept branch on Komendantsky Prospekt St. Petersburg, Russia is much more than a traditional bank branch and will help support the lifestyle goals of customers, the entrepreneurial objectives of local businesses, and support the aspirations of the surrounding creative communities in the centre of St. Petersburg.

“We know, from our experience and research, that a cookie cutter customer approach no longer works in today’s 24/7 global and digital-first environment. This also applies to physical or geographical communities. Each community has its own unique needs and preferences, which is why our branch of the future strategy is all about continuing to deliver hyper localised experiences tailored to the needs of each individual community,” said Campbell Rigg.

Tasked with developing a new identity and branch environment concept to take Zenit to the next stage. Our management teams had several key objectives beyond the purely functional design that were integral to the success of the project. The consistency of implementing the brand identity had been an issue for the client in the past.

We created a contemporary open plan environment for customers to engage with Zenit colleagues and the brand platform, whilst maintaining a business-like tone.

We achieved the aims of the project by selecting images (supplied by Getty Images) and materials of contemporary quality. Using graphic panels and indirect lighting set a standard that reflects the bank's values and attention to detail. The environment design seeks to reassure the customer that they are working with a reliable, forward-looking partner.