The sun has set on Abrdn’s four-year rebrand and the company will be known as Aberdeen (Image: Getty)
Aberdeen Group, formerly known as Standard Life Aberdeen, rebranded to Abrdn, in 2021. The name was created by the agency Wolff Olins, which it said “symbolised the free-flowing movement of money”.
But the rebrand was mocked by both investors and financial advisers with chief executive Stephen Bird, accusing the media of “corporate bullying” in 2024. He was quoted as telling Financial News: “I understand that corporate bullying to some extent is part of the game with the press, even though it’s a little childish to keep hammering the missing vowels in our name.”Would you do that with an individual? How would you look at a person who makes fun of your name day in, day out? It’s probably not ethical to do it. But apparently with companies it is different.”
Jason Windsor, who took over as CEO from Mr Bird in October 2023, revealed the company was renaming itself Aberdeen Group when unveiling the company’s latest set of full year results.
The name change is the company’s fourth in eight years, it had been Aberdeen Asset Management but changed to Standard Life Aberdeen when it merged with its Scottish rival in 2017.
Mr Windsor said the decision was a pragmatic one and it was time for the company to look forward and be proud.
During 2024 Aberdeen Group’s profit grew 2% to £255 million and it attracted 35,000 new customers to its Interactive Investor business.
Customer numbers at the online investment platform surged 8% to 439,000, boosting its assets under management by more than a sixth to £77.5 billion.
Windsor said: “This is a group to be proud of, with a promising future. We will deliver by looking forward with confidence and removing distractions. To that end, we are changing our name to Aberdeen Group plc. This is a pragmatic decision marking a new phase for the organisation, as we focus on delivering for our customers, people and shareholders.”
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The decision was welcomed by advisers and industry experts.
Tony Redondo, founder at said: “The 2021 shift to Abrdn, ditching vowels in a quirky nod to modernity, drew mockery for being unreadable and pretentious, alienating clients and investors alike. Today’s announcement is a pragmatic retreat from a branding experiment gone awry. With £508bn of client funds under management, clarity trumped quirkiness. Aberdeen has been through a rough patch with its share price down 30% in five years and £1.7 bn in 2024 of outflows, so the return to its Scottish roots may steady its image and trust. Markets might shrug, but it could curb client loss. For the company and its shareholders’ sake, let’s hope it’s smart damage control and not too late.”
Jamie Elvin, director at said: “Abrdn’s rebrand back to Aberdeen is a clear admission that the previous name change was a misstep. The decision reflects the importance of brand clarity in financial services, where trust and recognition are paramount. While the move may restore some investor confidence, it also highlights the costly risks of unnecessary corporate rebrands.”
Riz Malik, independent financial adviser at said: “Their investors are clearly more concerned about the returns they make than whether they use vwls in their company name.”