The Erste Group logo, representing a banking group, consists of the brand name and the distinctive Sparkassen-S symbol. In the current version, the large word ERSTE is set in uppercase letters, the word Group appears below it, and a white S-shaped symbol with a separate circular element above it is positioned on the right. This symbol is derived from the Sparkassen-S created in 1938 by Viennese graphic designer Lois Gaigg. Its form combines the letter S with the image of a money box, while the circle above represents a coin. In 1972, the symbol was redesigned by Otl Aicher, and during the 2023 refresh of Erste Group’s visual identity, the S was made slimmer and a white monochrome logo became the primary version for digital use. The logo can be placed on the brand’s colored backgrounds, while the Sparkassen-S is also used on its own, for example in a square icon with rounded corners. The name Erste comes from the historic name Erste österreichische Spar-Casse, meaning “First Austrian Savings Bank”.
Erste Group Bank AG is an Austrian banking group headquartered in Vienna, whose history dates back to the opening of Erste österreichische Spar-Casse in 1819. In its current structure, Erste Group was established in 2008 after the group’s holding functions were separated from the operating business of Erste Bank Oesterreich. The group serves private customers, small and medium-sized businesses, large companies and the public sector, offering accounts, payments, loans, mortgages, savings and investment products, corporate financing and digital banking services. Erste Group’s main markets are in Central and Eastern Europe, where it operates a network of banks and the George online banking platform.
