25 Years of IPO: LOOPING ONE stages Deutsche Börse Group anniversary as “Beautiful Order Book”

Twenty-five years ago, Deutsche Börse Group listed itself – a move that laid the foundation for its role today as a global technology and market infrastructure provider. To mark the anniversary, LOOPING ONE, together with Hamburg-based design studio Bureau Johannes Erler, created a table book titled “The Beautiful Order Book.” The idea: to translate this transformation into a format that deliberately breaks away from traditional financial communication – visually precise, clearly structured, and with a strong narrative approach.

The book follows the logic of an order book – the core system of any exchange. Three chapters – Call, Match, Open Orders – not only structure the content but also reflect the development of Deutsche Börse Group. The system itself becomes the storytelling framework.

Alongside contributions from figures such as Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel, Verena Pausder, and KfW CEO Stefan B. Wintels, the publication features photographic works from the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation and illustrations by Joni Marriott, who reinterprets key concepts from the 2001 IPO campaign. The closing words are by Gregor Gysi.

“The IPO 25 years ago marks the birth of today’s Deutsche Börse Group. The capital market gave us the tools to become a European champion with a global orientation,” says Ingrid M. Haas, Managing Director Group Communications & Marketing at Deutsche Börse Group. “With The Beautiful Order Book, we tell the story of this transformation in a form that is unusual in both substance and aesthetics for financial communication.”

“The Beautiful Order Book combines strategic communication, editorial quality, and creative ambition. It communicates complex topics in a way that is both entertaining and accessible,” adds Michael Wingendorf, Managing Director of LOOPING ONE. “That Deutsche Börse Group entrusted us with this project makes us particularly proud.”

LOOPING ONE collaborated with Bureau Johannes Erler on design and layout. “This was a particularly beautiful project,” says Johannes Erler. “I’ve worked with LOOPING for a long time and always enjoy it. Deutsche Börse Group was a great client – fast, committed, and creative. That’s how good work happens.”

At the Deutsche Börse Group’s annual kick-off event in Eschborn, guests received a copy of The Beautiful Order Book. The first copy was presented by CEO Stephan Leithner to Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

LOOPING ONE develops communication solutions for brands and companies – from strategy and editorial to design, film, and social media. The agency is part of the LOOPING GROUP and employs around 60 people across Berlin, Munich, and Hamburg.

The Hamburg-based design studio Bureau Johannes Erler stands for precise brand communication and graphic design – from concept to execution for companies, cultural institutions, and publishers.