CII
Positioning | Brand Identity
The Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) serves as the UK’s premier professional body for insurance and financial planning professions, with more than 125,000 members in over 150 countries.
A strategic review identified, a few key challenges the organisation was facing, namely rebuilding public trust in the insurance sector, as well as raising its professional standards.
Building on a rich heritage
We identified a number of strategic areas where the CII could improve the image and impact of its brand – these included its visual identity, as well as the hierarchy, architecture and naming systems used across the organisation. This core development work helped to unify and strengthen the CII's full portfolio.
A new visual identity was developed using elements from the CII’s original coat of arms (c.1933) to build on the organisation’s symbolism and rich history. In contrast to the complexities of the original, a simplified line style was used to portray a more sophisticated, contemporary organisation.
The overall design system needed to be scalable to work across the variety of sub brands, faculties and societies, bringing them all together under one umbrella that would reflect a shared purpose, and provide a platform for future expansion.
Agency: Smith & Milton
Coat of Arms symbolic meaning
Sword & hand
The hand grasping the blade of the sword of St Pauls, rather than the hilt, is symbolic of the weapon being neutralised. This is aligned to the fundamental purpose of insurance being to mitigate harm and hurt.
Supporters
The unicorn and lion (termed ‘supporters’) represent the national role that the Chartered Insurance Institute plays; the royal lion of England and the unicorn of Scotland. Both creatures are depicted with fish tails.
Book
The open book between supporters symbolises the Institute’s role as a professional body responsible for career guidance, education and the award of qualifications that demonstrate the principles that govern insurance and financial planning practice.
Fire, wheat & anchor
The Chartered Insurance Institute’s shield of arms illustrates the main original classes of insurance: fire (flame), life (wheatsheaf) and marine (anchor). The horizontal chain symbolises the fourth main class of accident insurance, and more generally the security provided by insurance.