A bold brand that takes a stand.
A rebrand to help a purchase platform challenge the space they’re in and change the status quo.
Services
- Brand Strategy
- Brand Voice
- Positioning
- Visual Identity
- Messaging Platform
- Brand Guidelines
- Website Design
Katapult got off the ground as a new entry in the field of retail purchase plans. In an industry dominated by predatory rates and a credit score caste system, Katapult used disruptive AI to identify trustworthy consumers and give them a fair way to pay for the things they need over time—all without a credit check.
The team at Katapult needed to develop compelling value propositions for both its immediate customer (retailers) as well as the end consumer (shoppers); success with retailers hinged on being the best possible solution for shoppers. This meant fighting the negative stereotypes surrounding both “sub-prime” shoppers and the purchase agreements that typically offered people a raw deal.
Emotive worked with Katapult to challenge the industry by turning their brand proposition into a full-fledged mission. Distilling their experience and approach down to the essentials, we crafted a brand story that could work for retailers, shoppers, and employees alike. Paired with a friendly, dynamic visual identity, this story sets Katapult up to show their best face to the world.
What We Learned Along the Way
Always challenge your expectations.
Big Tech—and especially Big Data—get a bad rap sometimes, often for good reasons. Our personal data already circulates freely through the internet, but Katapult was able to use it to add value to people’s lives rather than extract it. This shift was crucial to defining the company brand.
Give people permission to feel good.
The world of affordable products and payments is full of dreary “value” branding. Katapult’s brand identity couldn’t be farther from this. Rather than compete on value, the brand—from messaging to the signature Bounce in its visual design—creates real joy and suggests that people should be free to live the life they want.
Leave no stone unturned.
When it comes to intake, including all stakeholders is crucial. Some of our sharpest takes and biggest takeaways came from an unlikely source: the Compliance team. Working in the background, they gave us a peek under the hood and showed us how Katapult’s business model was truly creating value for its customers.
Colleen Gorsky, Former Executive, KatapultTheir work has been on-point, and they’ve elevated our positioning by capturing our company from a storytelling perspective.”
A Truly Handcrafted Logo
With its simple, confident craftsmanship, the Katapult logo puts a friendly face on the brand. Ligatures between letterforms evoke the motion and gentle arc of the Bounce while giving the wordmark the impression of a signature—a nod to the purchase agreement at the heart of the Katapult platform. The lack of an icon in the logo lets the name stand on its own, reinforcing its confidence and acting as a differentiator in the competitive space.
A Brand That Stands for Something
Katapult helps people who feel ignored by the credit score system get the things they need on their own terms. It was clear from day one they needed to communicate something different: validation, empowerment, and inspiration. We put a simple brand idea front and center in everything Katapult does: Seeing the good in people is good for business.
Elevated at Every Turn
It was critical to put the consumer at the center of Katapult’s brand—from the logo, color palette and photography to the conversational brand voice, which, like the Katapult Bounce, aims to elevate and uplift through a more human tone.
Design That Puts a Spring in Your Step
The Bounce is the centerpiece of Katapult’s visual identity. It’s a playful graphic element that suggests that Katapult lifts shoppers up, elevates the retail experience, and bounds over the status quo. Movement and dynamism permeate everything Katapult does, and the Bounce keeps things moving in one direction: forward.
Showcase disruption with heart.
Credit rules everything around us, but almost half of US consumers have subprime credit. We showed how Katapult’s AI technology can be used to actually humanize people, rather than turn them into numbers.
Tell the right (human) story.
Instead of making people jump through hoops, Katapult offers shoppers speedy checkouts. And it gives retailers a seamlessly integrated platform. We wove these value propositions together to tell a story about removing friction from every step of the process.
Turn sales pitches on their ear.
The in-house sales team was having trouble competing with big players that boasted about market share and “high-quality” customer bases. By putting Katapult’s tech-driven approach front and center, we helped them go on the attack by declaring credit scores a thing of the past.
You’ve got to be kind.
Subprime customers have traditionally been judged or considered less trustworthy. We worked with Katapult to communicate radical empathy and show the power of seeing people’s real potential. The result? A brand that has your back like no one else.
