Make Bank With Bridge
Synopsis: In the United States low to middle income earners are finding it increasingly difficult to gain upward mobility due to a financial industry skewed towards the wealthy. But Bridge had a vision and a plan to change all that. They wanted to create a bank for an unrepresented demographic: young, aspirational, working-class urbanites. To engage them on their terms, help them build wealth and facilitate economic opportunities.
Challenge: Belief in the ‘American dream’ — that anyone can progress in life if they work hard enough — is still strong, even in the younger demographics. However, with high fees, hidden charges, complex small print, and challenging online experiences, conventional banks do little to help younger people, at the lower end of the income scale, to get ahead. The result is over 30% of young American adults claiming they don’t trust banks and nearly 63 million either un or under-banked.
We needed to create a brand that met them on their level, spoke to them in their language and distanced itself from the contrived and clichéd world of conventional banking.
Insight and idea: The signifiers of upward mobility in young, urban adults are not the hackneyed tropes of carefree, middle-class lifestyles. We needed to honestly and authentically speak to those seeking to fix their lives now and who want to confidently enjoy the trappings success can bring.
And that’s where we found our idea.
Street-smart money chasers was a brand idea based around a bold, raw and unapologetic attitude. It celebrated the adrenaline rush that making money provides and the hustlers who want to earn now, not in an uncertain future. It’s all about the love of chasing success and the confidence and control that brings.
Expression: An identity which is unashamedly bling and unapologetically direct, it uses a black and white colour palette to reflect an honest, authentic attitude, with added splashes of gold for necessary warmth and sparkle. This—combined with positive and uplifting imagery of young, gritty, urban lifestyles, and a tone of voice which was brash, loud and proud—made Bridge a brand that always keeps it real and champions the aspirations of a new generation of money makers.
Collaborating with: Studio Everywhere — Brand strategy