Franklin Templeton, a 70 year old asset management company, acquired rival Legg Mason in 2020 to become the world’s 6th largest global investment fund. With this drastic change came the ambition to take the Franklin Templeton brand into a new, modern chapter. 

The merger significantly increased Franklin Templeton’s scale and capability. Their portfolio, customisation and global reach clearly signalled an innovative business ready for the future. However, the brand was generally perceived as old-fashioned, dusty and tired. This image was directly at odds with the reality of the forward-thinking firm. 

We found the creative solution in the archives: Ben Franklin - pioneer, entrepreneur and innovator. Franklin’s progressive values and approach were timeless, as relevant today as they were then. We used him as our muse, developing the brand identity to go beyond the Franklin name and embrace his famous progressive character. 

The creative idea, ‘hello progress’, explicitly demonstrates Franklin Templeton welcoming progress into the business. The brand is built around our iconic ‘progress window’; inspired by the logo’s holding shape around Franklin’s figure, it represents a window of opportunity. The compelling texture of the window reflects a rich and transformational quality, with subjects, ideas and copy bursting to life from within. 

The progress window also informed our flexible colour palette; a set of vibrant, modern hero colours that feel fresh in the category and cut-through the financial services sea of sameness. 

In collaboration with:
M&C Saatchi London