TM – Conceptual Work

Brands representing transactional Web sites often grow organically without much focus on brand architecture or outgrow their platforms when a company wants to reach a new audience. TotallyMoney, a British personal finance comparison site, was faced with both challenges. A look at the competition also showed a landscape cluttered with opera singers, meerkats, 1980s TV show spoofs, super-saturated color palettes, and a lot of shouting “COMPARE NOW!” Some new, very different concepts that could inspire potential rebranding had to be explored.

Concept: A Softer, More Editorial Logo Treatment

In terms of challenger brands with big spending competitors, I’m a big proponent of taking a “zig when they zag” approach so that an unknown brand is more likely to stand out. Since most comparison sites are busy shouting in neon, an area for conceptual exploration to sharply differentiate the TotallyMoney brand was something a lot quieter. I asked the art director for this project to do just that; she selected a very editorial font, Copse, along with a subdued color palette for concept development.

In exploring rebranding concepts, I also identified an untapped audience that may not receive messages through TV, and if they do, likely gets turned off by obvious gimmicks: the younger, tech-savvy, creative generation who reject overly corporate or manufactured identities, live their lives through social media, and attend a wide range of real world events. Focusing on showcasing a distinctly personal touch and a strong demonstration of craft that would appeal to this audience, I asked the art director to create a series of hand-drawn icons that could be used as visual shorthand on the Web site and across communications. (After all, nothing says a brand doesn’t care like the overuse of clip art and stock photos.)