THE NEW IDENTITY of the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants (HKICPA) is matched by a contemporary logo with four 'wings' underneath the letters CPA, the universally recognised short form for certified public accountants. The logo replaces an emblem created more than 30 years ago (and likened to a school badge) that showed a junk, a key, a scale and olive leaves - symbols representing various aspects of the profession. The old emblem was so deeply rooted that, in the process of rebranding, council members of the professional body considered retaining the badge-like design in the new logo. The institute's chief executive and registrar, Winnie Cheung Chi-woon, said the council decided to shed the old emblem for a completely new identity. 'It's a big step moving away from the traditional emblem to a simple and contemporary design,' she said, adding that this underlined the institute's willingness to embrace the changes and challenges that lay ahead. She said the four wings in the new logo 'signify us reaching for new heights in our success'. One of the wings was the red of the Bauhinia flag, denoting the important role accountants played in guarding Hong Kong's reputation as an international finance centre and a gateway to China. The logo's message was simple: that the HKICPA was an essential ingredient in business success. More than 20 logo designs were submitted by Motiv8, the agency responsible for the rebranding exercise. Motiv8 managing partner Charles Brian-Boys said the revamp had aimed to come up with a clean, modern and international look. The choice was narrowed down to two within three weeks before the final design was selected shortly afterwards. Mr Brian-Boys said the speed with which the winning design was chosen came as a surprise, considering the accounting body's conservative image. This had really reflected its determination to embrace change, shed its old image and become a vibrant and contemporary body.