Alpha Bank transforms brand and retail experience with Pentagram and Dalziel & Pow

Alpha Bank has unveiled a major transformation of its brand and retail experience, combining a new identity created by Pentagram with a reimagined branch concept by global strategy and design studio Dalziel & Pow.

Guided by the new brand vision, ‘Home of Personalised Progress’, the transformation marks a new chapter for the 147-year-old Greek financial institution. It positions Alpha Bank as a trusted partner that helps customers move forward on their own terms, while creating a more contemporary and human brand for current and future generations.

Pentagram’s new visual identity brings a fresh perspective to Alpha Bank’s heritage and establishes a more unified and distinctive presence across its customer touchpoints.

The new identity takes its inspiration from Alpha Bank’s rich cultural heritage, in particular the ancient silver stater of Aegina, the coin that inspired the bank’s original logo in 1972. Pentagram has redrawn the symbol, retaining the understated elegance of its central axis and the subtle asymmetries of the original coin. The resulting mark forms the foundation of a comprehensive visual identity that respects the bank’s history while giving it a more contemporary expression.

The symbol informs every element of the new design system, from the wordmark and custom typeface to the iconography, signage and brand patterns. The new Alpha Sans typeface has been designed in both Greek and Latin versions, and the identity retains the bank’s recognisable Alpha Blue. Together, these elements create a coherent and flexible visual language that can be applied across the bank’s communications, digital platforms and physical environments, supporting Alpha Bank’s ambitions for the future.

The rebrand extends across Alpha Bank’s business, with Dalziel & Pow translating the new identity and brand vision into a fresh approach to the bank’s branch experience.

The first expression of the new retail experience is Alpha Bank’s branch in Kolonaki, Athens’ luxury retail and cultural quarter. The new branch design reimagines the traditional banking environment as a warmer, more personal and contemporary experience.

Dalziel & Pow has created a flexible, modular retail toolkit that guides customers seamlessly from everyday transactions to more in-depth advice. Self-service facilities, service desks and a digital queue system make routine banking simple, with comfortable seating, coffee and USB charging available. Dedicated advice zones offer a more private setting for conversations with relationship managers, and acoustic panels and bespoke furniture create varying levels of privacy, without the need for fully enclosed meeting rooms on every floor.

Light-toned timber, soft lighting and abundant greenery create a calm, welcoming atmosphere, while textured panelling and marble reference traditional Greek architecture for a timeless, elevated feel. The light, bright palette provides a backdrop for the new visual identity, with brand icons and patterns integrated across glass walls and bespoke carpets. In the double-height space, a sculptural light feature offers an abstract interpretation of the bank’s icon, bringing the identity to life.

Upstairs, a dedicated space for Alpha Gold and Business customers takes cues from hospitality and private members’ clubs, creating a more intimate setting for advice and relationship banking. Works from Alpha Bank’s art collection are boldly displayed throughout the branch, reflecting its commitment to art and culture.

The striking storefront brings Alpha Bank’s new identity to life through its distinctive blue palette and dimensional signage. A textured brand pattern adds depth to the signage, creating a dynamic interplay of light and shadow throughout the day.

The new wordmark and icon form part of a flexible signage toolkit, allowing each branch to respond to its architectural context while maintaining a consistent, recognisable presence across the network.

Beyond Kolonaki, the concept provides a blueprint for the transformation of Alpha Bank’s 240+ branches across Greece, with a modular approach designed to adapt to different locations and customer needs. The project was developed in close collaboration with local architects A team, combining expertise to create cohesive, locally considered design.

Domenic Lippa, Designer at Pentagram, said: “I believe within any project we are eternally searching for the truth in the solution. To discover the truth, you need a client willing to help you go on that journey. The team at Alpha Bank gave us 110% of their time, knowledge and ambition. Without them we would never have managed to find what we were searching for.”

Oliver Ellis, Associate Creative Director at Dalziel & Pow, said: “Alpha Bank’s rebrand gave us the opportunity to rethink the banking experience through a more human, design-led lens. In Kolonaki, we’ve brought the new identity to life through a careful balance of materiality, light and spatial flow, combining warm, natural finishes with clear zoning that supports different customer needs.

Source: Pentagram

  Alpha Bank, Branding, Dalziel & Pow, Greece, Marketing, Pentagram, Retail, Typeface, Visual Identity