A drink of ice tea.

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Branding; First Place; Asset Size: $500 Million to $1 Billion

ABAMN Financial Marketing Award

Institution: Darby Bank, Savannah, Ga.

Agency: The KIDD Group, Tallahassee, Fla.

The bank decided to update its brand by using a traditional Southern beverage, ice tea, as a symbol for the bank's core values.

Branding sessions uncovered the one common thread among employees was their shared values, which could be expressed with the words: Integrity, Commitment, Excellence, Teamwork, Energy and Ability. From these initials (ICE TEA) came the tea leaf market, theme and brand. The ice tea and tea leaf embodied not only the core values, but hospitality, the desire to invigorate and the willingness to help others.