Aviva

The largest insurance provider in the UK, Aviva can trace their heritage back to the days of Norwich Union before the latter’s merging with CGU plc in 2009 to form the Aviva we know today. Norwich Union was founded a staggering 225 years ago by Thomas Bignold. As one of Norwich’s oldest and proudest major brands, Norwich Union continued to expand over decades and centuries to become a major player in the national insurance market. Operating worldwide, including in the likes of Canada and Australia, the extraordinary growth of Norwich Union and later Aviva is a testament to the sky being the limit for Norwich based brands.

Aviva have placed themselves squarely in the public consciousness, not only for the services they provide, but also their cultural ventures. They have been the main sponsors of Norwich City Football Club, during some of their recent spells in the Premier League; they have also sponsored rugby union’s English Premiership until 2018. Perhaps most famously, Dublin’s iconic Aviva Stadium, has played host to some of Ireland’s greatest rugby and football moments. With a distinctive logo of blue, yellow, and green, Aviva is a highly recognisable brand which has had a good deal of success with their memorable television adverts too.

As one of the largest companies to have a Norwich based heritage, Aviva represents the way in which what was once a locally established insurer against fire damages, could expand into a world leader in their field. The transition from Norwich Union to Aviva branding for a global market is a testament to how far the business has come and they continue to thrive as the UK leader in their industry.