Revitalizing the 175-year-old financial institution’s legacy
- ClientLazard Asset Management
- IndustryFinancial Services
- ServicesBranding
- CapabilitiesBrand Transformation Strategy
Helping Lazard Asset Management find a distinct voice in finance
As Lazard’s asset management business within a 175-year-old global financial services firm, Lazard Asset Management needed to find a distinct voice in a category defined by sameness. The challenge was to build on a storied legacy while signaling a modern point of view across messaging, brand expression, and key client touchpoints. At the same time, it had to align with the broader Lazard brand so the overall corporate presence felt unified and consistent.
Working closely with LAM and Lazard leadership, the team set out to clarify what makes the business different and how that story should show up wherever clients and stakeholders engage with the brand. Strategic direction shaped the messaging and guided how the brand would be expressed consistently across touchpoints. The focus stayed on honoring heritage while presenting the business with a current point of view.
Key Takeaways
Heritage became proof of craft, positioning LAM as investment architects in a crowded category.
An editorial-led identity system unified messaging and design across LAM and Lazard touchpoints.
A phased rollout launched with LAM, then extended proven elements to the Lazard corporate brand.
Storytelling-first web experiences made the brand more engaging for clients and stakeholders.
A New Identity for the Investment Architects
LAM’s new brand identity positions them as "investment architects," emphasizing their commitment to the craft of investing. This strategic direction differentiates LAM from competitors and highlights their unique approach to asset management: empowered investment teams, specialized expertise and unparalleled access.
Balancing Lazard’s Legacy and Innovation
LAM’s brand transformation was integrated throughout the overall corporate brand and experience. The approach balances Lazard's rich legacy with their forward-looking innovations. The new strategy showcases Lazard’s historic contributions to financial markets while highlighting their modern, innovative practices.
Launching Lazard’s First ETFs
Known primarily among institutional clients, Lazard entrusted Code and Theory to help launch their first significant portfolio of retail products: a series of ETFs. With a new design system and a fresh brand story to tell, the campaign highlights why LAM’s ETFs stand out in a crowded market: each one is crafted to be unique and grounded in our institutional managers’ areas of specialization.
What We Did
Defined a distinct brand voice for LAM that stands out in a category defined by sameness
Positioned LAM as investment architects, turning heritage into proof of craft and differentiation
Unified messaging and design across LAM and Lazard with an editorial-led identity system
Launched storytelling-first web experiences that made the brand more engaging for clients and stakeholders
Read More
Let’s get to work. Start a conversation.
newbiz@codeandtheory.comCode and Theory is a proud member of Stagwell Group. Stagwell is the challenger network built to transform marketing. We deliver scaled creative performance for the world’s most ambitious brands, connecting culture-moving creativity with leading-edge technology to harmonize the art and science of marketing. Led by entrepreneurs, our 13,000+ specialists in 34+ countries are unified under a single purpose: to drive effectiveness and improve business results for their clients. Join us at www.stagwellglobal.com
Decode
Keep up with the culture, one newsletter at a time. Subscribe to DECODE:
Find Us
One World Trade Center,
69th Floor
New York, NY 10007