started in
Lille in 1848. After buying a number of small banks, it was, in turn, acquired by
Paribas between 1972 (35% owned) and 1988 (100% owned) but remained run as a separate network. In the following years several regional French banks were brought in the group while retaining their names. In 1984, it was the fifth-ranking French banking group. It rebranded itself, after working with
Creative Business (a public relations company), with a new logo, graphics of its name, the architecture of its branches, and public relations. is applied to both the former Crédit du Nord, and the Société Générale branches in the North of France. As with
SG Crédit du Nord, the remaining Crédit du Nord banks' identities are also applied as regional brand names: •
SG Tarneaud in
Centre-Val de Loire and in parts of
Nouvelle-Aquitaine (the remaining of the branches in
Nouvelle-Aquitaine are named
SG Sud-Ouest) •
SG Courtois in
Occitanie •
SG SMC (for ) in
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur •
SG Laydernier in parts of
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (the remaining of the branches in
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes are named
SG Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes) == Controversy ==