FALCON HEIGHTS, Minn.–Two well-established Minnesota credit unions that are merging have now announced their new brand.
The $2.25-bilion Spire Credit Union and the $1.75-billion Hiway CU in St. Paul said they will begin operating as Blaze Credit Union effective Jan. 1.
The credit unions said the name reflects the “conceptual meaning of brightly colored blazes along a tree-lined trail: guidance, navigation, and wayfinding.”
“No matter your age or where you’re at, financial journeys can appear daunting, and it’s natural for people to sometimes feel a little lost,” said SPIRE President/CEO Dan Stoltz, who will be CEO of the combined CU, in a statement. “SPIRE and Hiway have been helping our members follow the path to their dreams - improving their lives - for more than 180 years combined. Our new credit union’s name and brand underscores our mission: to be a partner along that path, helping our members go for it, whatever their ‘it’ might be.”
The Brand Elements
In addition to the new name, the two credit unions said the other brand elements “muse on regional geography and many Midwesterners’ love of the outdoors.”
“In the logo, the ‘B’ is carved to show a blazed trail to a destination,” the statement continued. “The color palette is full of coppers, golds and greens - colors of money which also reflect scenery like raw iron ore, warm sunsets, and the mighty Norway pines that line our roads and dot our city parks.”
With the new name and color palette is also a new tagline, “Go for it,” which they said is about encouraging members to take “bold action toward their dreams, with Blaze as their trusted partner.”
“Blaze Credit Union isn’t just our name, it’s what we do,” Hiway President/CEO Dave Boden, who will be president of the combined organization, said in a statement. “Beyond providing guidance to our members, we’re also here to move our communities forward. Both Hiway and SPIRE have a long history of giving back to our home communities, and that commitment to bettering our shared road ahead will continue.”
Archie & Dot to Return
SPIRE Credit Union said its much-recognized 1952 Ford, Archie, which has appeared in much of the CU’s marketing and TV commercials, has undergone a makeover and will continue to be a part of the new brand. During an event announcing the new name, Archie was joined by Dot, Hiway’s late model Ford F150; her name pays homage to the credit union’s Department of Transportation origins.
“This is an exciting time for all of us – we’re ready to go for it,” said Boden. “When we did the reveal, there was a lot of enthusiasm from our people, as there has been for the SPIRE/Hiway partnership in general. We’re confident that Blaze Credit Union will make an impact in the financial industry, as well as be a leader in our region with boundless opportunities for our members, our communities, and our associates.”
The combined credit union will have 26 branch locations, employ more than 600 people and have approximately 250,000 members.
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