A HUGE Scottish investment firm has changed its name after a heavily criticised rebrand.
Asset manager Abrdn has rebranded itself as Aberdeen, coming after years of ridicule from business analysts and the media.
The investment company changed its name from Standard Life Aberdeen in 2021 after working with agency Wolff Olins for its new identity.
The company, which had been formed by a £3.8 billion merger in 2017, launched the major rebrand four years later after selling its Standard Life name as it exited the UK and European life insurance market.
Stephen Bird, chief executive of Abrdn, defended the change at the time and said its clients had “fully embraced” the move.
However, the change prompted criticism from City analysts and media commentators, who joked the company was “disemvowelled” and had “irritable vowel syndrome”.
Jason Windsor, who became chief executive of Abrdn last year, said on Tuesday that it was “a pragmatic decision marking a new phase for the organisation, as we focus on delivering for our customers, people and shareholders”.
