Site's iconic emblem marks its half-century milestone
In the world of corporate branding, few logos have stood the test of time as gracefully as Deutsche Bank's "Slash in a Square." Designed by the renowned German graphic designer, Anton Stankowski, this minimalist blue logo has been a globally recognized trademark of the bank for over half a century.
The journey of this iconic logo began in 1972, when Stankowski won a logo design competition commissioned by the bank. The competition was part of an initiative to rebrand the company and create a logo that would resonate on a global scale. Stankowski's design, featuring a slash tilted at approximately 53 degrees inside a square, was unveiled to the public on April 25, 1974, in several major daily newspapers.
Anton Stankowski, a pioneer of graphic design and a master of constructivism, drew inspiration from the symbolism of minimalism, stability, and precision. The "Slash in a square" logo was initially interpreted as a symbol of dynamic growth in a secure environment, reflecting the bank's core values.
Interestingly, the logo was originally named "Wegweiser" (signpost) by the bank's employees during a company-wide contest to suggest a name for the new logo. However, the name never officially stuck, and the logo has been known as the "Slash in a square" ever since.
Before the introduction of the "Slash in a square" logo, Deutsche Bank did not have a logo when it was founded in 1870. Instead, the bank used a stylized eagle and a letter mark in parallel for an extended period. The exact year the bank started using these symbols is not specified in the available records.
In the 1970s, as Deutsche Bank expanded internationally, it recognized the need to adapt its public presentation. The "Slash in a square" logo was a significant step in this direction, gaining popularity as a pictorial symbolic language became prominent.
In contrast, the slash in the "O" logo of Microsoft, designed by Scott Baker in 1985, was intended more as a dynamic visual cue reflecting speed and the brand's softer, approachable side in the mid-1980s computing era. This logo, famously associated with Microsoft's "Pac-Man" era, represented a mature and dynamic phase in Microsoft's branding and lasted until 2011.
Anton Stankowski, the visionary behind Deutsche Bank's "Slash in a square" logo, passed away in 1998. His legacy lives on in the timeless and strong corporate identity that the logo continues to convey.
In recognition of Anton Stankowski's artistic brilliance, the home-and-garden magazine "Die Wohnidee" devoted a feature to the designer's workspace in 1987, showcasing how his minimalist lifestyle influenced the creation of the iconic Deutsche Bank logo. Furthermore, as Deutsche Bank sought to cultivate a more contemporary and fluid corporate culture, they encouraged employees to incorporate aspects of their lifestyles into their work spaces, embodying the dynamic growth symbolized by the "Slash in a square" logo.
