Our brand's story

The strength of the Scottish Widows brand owes a lot to the then-radical decision taken in 1986 to create a living logo – the Scottish Widow.

The creation of an icon

In 1986, the world of financial services was changing and becoming more competitive. Our response was to review every aspect of our business, including how our company was promoted and our values maintained.

The result was the introduction of a ‘living logo’, the Scottish Widow, and the launch of the 1986 ‘Looking Good for Your Money’ campaign.

This strategy was, at the time, probably the boldest marketing move the financial market had ever seen. The Scottish Widow was created as an icon that confronted all the negative values associated with the word ‘widow’ and presented the positive values – strength, reliability, integrity, innovation and heritage.

The impact was immediate, Scottish Widows became a household name and ‘awareness’ increased from 34% to 92%.

In 2016 our brand is reflected through similar values – expert, stable and caring.

The company was founded in 1815 as Scotland's first mutual life office.