Challenge

ING wanted to align its brand with its new positioning and tagline, “do your thing.”

The ambition was to move away from the stereotypical image of a bank – from corporate and distant to open, human, and empowering.

The focus was on enabling people to explore opportunities, realize possibilities, and embrace a mindset of freedom and possibility.

The challenge: to visualize and express the spirit of “do your thing” through a new global photography style that could work across markets, cultures, and lifestyles – and make the brand feel alive everywhere.

Idea

Unbanking a bank. Total Design led ING’s global and local teams through creative workshops to define a new photography style focused on emotion, not product.

The idea: show real people doing their thing through spontaneous, authentic moments – the “lucky shot.” The new style broke with traditional banking imagery and created a flexible, human visual language for all markets.

To keep the library fresh and on-brand, Total Design established a service desk to support searches, manage bespoke shoots, and direct photographers worldwide. At the same time, we evolved ING’s visual identity – refining global guidelines, building a brand experience formula, and creating templates and playbooks to ensure consistent implementation across every region.

Result

More than 5,000 on-brand images now form a global library that reflects ING’s diversity, humanity, and energy.

A unique photography style that captures emotion instead of product, creating a visual identity that connects across cultures. Consistency, authenticity, and adaptability are built in – with a constant stream of new content and ongoing training for markets worldwide.

ING now looks and feels like what it stands for: a bank that helps people do their thing – and truly unbanks the bank.