What Is the Santander Logo?
The Santander logo is a red flame symbol beside the name Santander in red letters. It belongs to Banco Santander, S.A., the Spanish banking group founded in 1857 as Banco de Santander in the city of Santander, where its founders, the Botín family, were born.
The flame has been the bank's symbol since 1986, and the present wordmark dates from a 2018 refresh. Flame and name together are available as the Santander logo SVG.
Santander Logo Facts
| Introduced | Flame 1986; present wordmark 2018 |
| Symbol | A flame |
| Logo type | Combination mark: flame and the Santander name |
| Owner | Banco Santander, S.A. |
What the Santander Logo Means
Santander says the flame stands for fire and the part it played in human evolution, "an ally in the advancement and progress of mankind". In the bank's own words it signals creativity, progress, a spark and inner strength.
The red carries the emotional side of the brand: Santander says its red transmits passion and emotion. The name itself has never changed. Santander has used it since 1857, after the city where the bank was first chartered.
Santander Logo History
The flame symbol was created in 1986 and has been part of Santander's identity ever since.
In 1999 Banco Santander merged with Banco Central Hispano, and the combined bank was called Banco Santander Central Hispano. On 13 August 2007 it changed its legal name back to Banco Santander.
The largest change to the logo came in March 2018. Ana Botín presented the new identity, which the brand consultancy Interbrand developed over about a year of interviews, focus groups and customer surveys. It was the bank's first corporate image update since 2004, and Botín called it "evolution, not revolution".
The name, the flame and the red all stayed, but each was reworked for phones and screens. The flame was slightly adjusted, the wordmark moved to a slimmer typeface, and the red changed from Pantone 032 to the brighter Pantone 485. White replaced red as the main background, with red as the accent.
In April 2019 the bank followed up with Santander Font, a typeface made for the bank by Monotype.
Santander and BBVA
Santander and BBVA trace their roots to the same year: Banco de Santander and Banco de Bilbao were both founded in 1857. Their marks went in different directions. Santander kept a picture symbol, the flame, while BBVA dropped symbols altogether and built its 2019 logo from lettering alone (compare the BBVA logo).
For more brands like Santander, browse our finance logos.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Santander flame mean?
Santander says the flame represents fire and its role in human progress, and stands for creativity, spark and inner strength.
When did the Santander flame first appear?
The flame symbol was created in 1986.
Who designed the 2018 Santander logo?
The brand consultancy Interbrand developed the 2018 identity, which kept the flame and the red while slimming the lettering.
Why is Santander called Santander?
The bank is named after Santander, the Spanish city where it was chartered in 1857.