Valuing our Past

Company: Lloyds Banking Group
Sector: Finance
Impact: Colleague advocacy and engagement; Corporate identity
Sponsor: Group Property Director
Timescale: 3 months from initial plans to launch

Project brief

Lloyds Banking Group was formed in 2009, following the acquisition of HBOS by Lloyds TSB. Group Property, in consultation with Group Archives, undertook to create a series of graphics for display in high-profile office sites, charting the history of the new Group and communicating its core values. The graphics would consist of a timeline, representing the history of the main brands, and a series of values panels, demonstrating the five key values of the Group.

These illustrations focus on the similarities of our customer-facing brands, celebrate our proud heritages, and bring our buildings to life. If our past is an indication of our future, Lloyds Banking Group will go from strength to strength with our shared vision. These installations articulate our values which underpin what we are all about.
Paul Baker, Group Property Director, 2010
The project has enabled the Archive to once again demonstrate its relevance to the business today. It has played a major role in communicating the Group's core values to both colleagues and visitors.
Helen Redmond-Cooper, Head of Group Archives and Museums, 2010

Main motivations behind the project

  • To help colleagues gain a deeper understanding of the Group's history, vision, values and purpose.
  • To celebrate and bring together the impressive heritages of both Lloyds TSB and HBOS, following the creation of Lloyds Banking Group.
  • To build awareness of the long-established brands that make up the new Group.

Business archives used by the team

  • A selection of documents, photographs and old advertising material to represent the milestones on the timeline
  • Core value "we succeed together" was illustrated by a photograph of the Lloyds Bank Spitfire, The Black Horse. It had been purchased in 1940 by the contributions from 12,000 staff.
  • Core value "we make it simple" was illustrated by a Bank of Scotland advert from 1961. Its aim was to make banking simple, particularly for young people.
  • Core value "we act wisely" was represented by a Halifax advertising leaflet from the 1890s. This encouraged customers to adopt thrifty habits, illustrating the dire consequences if they failed to do so.

Outcomes and business benefit

  • Creating a sense of unity: the timeline is a visual representation of our combined history, showing the strands coming together in 2009. The values panels used the heritage of the different brands side-by-side, in order to achieve a common goal.
  • Raising awareness: colleagues and visitors were able to learn about the history of the Group. The core values of the Group were conveyed in an interesting and original way, showing that our values today are rooted in our past.
  • Engaging colleagues: our history was used to create a sense of identity amongst colleagues. The Archives department saw a considerable rise in the number of historical enquiries received from colleagues following the launch of the graphics. Several other offices requested a timeline for their own buildings, having seen it at other sites.
  • The Group was able to illustrate its commitment to colleague advocacy.