Scottish Widows has confirmed it will kill off its iconic “widow” model that has featured in its branding for decades.

The £200 billion life insurer and pensions provider, owned by Lloyds Banking Group, wants to modernise its image.

The move was first reported by financial trade news website Citywire.

Scottish Widows has confirmed it is “phasing out” the widow model and will instead use a digital logo of a woman wearing a cloak.

The widow model brand has been since the 1980s. Deborah Moore, daughter of the late actor Roger Moore, was the first widow.

Current model Amber Martinez has been in the role since 2014 and will continue until the end of 2025.

Scottish Widows chief executive Chira Barua told The Financial Times: “One in four people in their twenties don’t have a pension and 38 per cent of adults are not on track for a minimum lifestyle in retirement, so we need to revolutionise the way people interact with longer-term savings to close that gap.

“Since we started building the app and digital tools, we’ve had phenomenal uplift in engagement and see this as a game-changer in helping people take the right steps now to get the retirement they want.”

Barua said the new brand will be aimed at feeling “more intuitive in digital channels like our app, but with a new look and ‘digital widow motif’ to bring it into a new era.”