Nine times out of ten, our #BehindTheIdea features focus on TV spots and other more naturally ‘exciting’ creative endeavours. This week, however, we’re doing things a little differently and are instead going to be putting the spotlight on a branding project.
This bold brand identity for rental deposit management firm Fronted aims to bring to life a sector that is traditionally quite bland and “vanilla.” The task fell on the team at Elmwood London to create an identity that worked on desktop and mobile and felt both comforting and clear.
This week, we caught up with Creative Director Kyle Whybrow to go #BehindTheIdea and discuss how they managed to establish Fronted as a pioneer for positive change in an otherwise stagnant industry.
What was the brief?
Fronted is building a better way for renters to move, starting with rental deposits. Rather than having to pay large upfront deposits, through Fronted, renters are able to spread the cost with more manageable monthly instalments. With this bold mission in place, Fronted required a brand worthy of a renting revolution.
When we were approached by the Fronted team, the brand was still in its concept phase. Elmwood were brought on to build a brand identity to help the company secure a first round of investment and establish Fronted as a new player in the market.
How did the initial pitch/brainstorming phase go?
Elmwood’s work with Fronted kicked off with a sprint-like model where myself and our Chief Provocation Officer, Greg Taylor, worked with the Fronted team on their positioning and where in the market the brand would operate. From a creative perspective, we presented them with various territories to help them identify the areas which they wanted to target.
This started as mood boards and turned into very interactive and efficient brainstorming sessions. There were 2-3 ideas we selected from a wider stretch of original concepts that we really liked. From the outset, Fronted’s founder, Jamie Campbell, insisted that the identity and design was workable on both desktop and mobile, so he needed something easy and flexible to work with.
Tell us more about the concept. How did it come to life, and why was it the right choice?
The current rental market is quite fragmented and broken. The average renter needs a very large sum of money in order to secure their home, and many simply can’t afford to put down this amount of money in one lump sum.
Recognising that affordable, accessible deposits are the key to increased social mobility, Fronted became a champion for the renters’ cause – and that’s what the brand’s logo was designed to express. We chose to signify the unlocking of potential and flying the flag for renter fairness; this was the idea that propelled the Fronted brand.
What was the production process like? What was the biggest challenge?
On a brand level it was successful, but we needed to ensure that it translated into the app functionality. So, that meant ensuring small scale usage for the icon and that the assets worked in terms of legibility standards for the end user.
Perhaps our biggest challenge was balancing functionality with design and ensuring that the app would be useful and easy to use.
Did Covid impact the production process? If so, how?
Covid definitely paused the work stream during the lockdown but we were able to quickly kickstart the project with Fronted again in October 2020. Their soft launch was a great success and Fronted was recognised as a Top Fintech Startup to Watch by The Times.
What is one funny or notable thing that happened during production?
What comes to mind is how quickly Jamie Campbell knew the idea he wanted even when sharing it with the wider team. He was so clear on the route that he loved, that it was quite funny that elmwood even had to show the other possible options.
What’s the main message of this project and why does it matter?
The main aim with this project was social mobility – empowering people to unlock their potential without feeling restricted about where they want to live. This is creating a new movement focused on renter fairness, driving positive change in the industry and beyond.
How long did it take from inception to delivery?
About 2-3 months, so it really was a design sprint.
What do you hope it achieves for the brand?
From a design perspective, I hope it establishes Fronted as a pioneer for positive change in an otherwise stagnant industry, with the brand encapsulating that shift.
Credit list for the work?
Kyle Whybrow (Creative Director)
Matt Churchill (Senior Designer)
Emily Morris (Designer)
Greg Taylor (Chief Provocation Officer)
Amy Elliot (Account Manager)
Charlotte Fountain (Senior Account Director)
