Koto boosts youth-oriented fintech brand with super-colourful Gen-Z visuals

In the midst of a cost-of-living crisis, many people are looking for ways to stretch their money further. Enter Fluz, a collaborative earning app that amplifies spending power by offering cashback on everyday purchases.

To help spread their message far and wide, Fluz recently teamed up with Koto, a brand and digital agency with studios in Berlin, London, Los Angeles, New York and Sydney, to craft a fresh brand to fuel Fluz's expansion.

The new brand extends across marketing initiatives, website, and product interactions and revolves around the core concept, 'Fluz empowers you to maximise your money'. It's anchored in a mindset dubbed 'Life on Max', which is all about stretching money to its fullest potential.

The brief

Founded in 2018 in New York, Fluz is a collaborative earning app that maximises your financial potential. It offers cashback on everyday spending, encourages earning with friends, and facilitates secure payments.

Focusing on transparency and accessibility, the platform helps eliminate hidden fees and provides various ways to stretch your money. Key features include 1.5% cashback with Mastercard, secure transactions, and inclusive accessibility. The company aims to empower users with equal opportunities to maximise their earnings.

Koto's extensive rebranding effort was fuelled by Fluz's strategic shift towards attracting a youthful demographic aged 18-32. This is grounded in the fundamental belief that Fluz empowers youngsters to maximise their money.

The idea was to challenge the common belief that top financial opportunities are only for those with substantial bank balances. Instead, the new identity uses bold, explosive, and super-colourful imagery to tempt Gen Z users into a vibrant and inclusive universe where financial transactions and community engagement blend seamlessly.

Typography and colours

At the centre of the new identity is a bold and confident wordmark. Designed by Koto to exude character and instant recognition, it serves as a powerful entry point into the world of Fluz, establishing the brand's core values at first glance.

Typography-wise, the identity uses the playful Greed Condensed Semibold as the primary typeface for headlines, sub-headers and calls to action. Additionally, Greed Condensed Semibold offers a "powered up" version, which makes Fluz's communications more dynamic and engaging on key touchpoints. Meanwhile, the secondary typeface, Area, prioritises readability, making it well-suited for body copy and tags, ensuring clarity and coherence across all communications.

Fluz's colour palette features ethereal tones contrasted with dark colours, providing a strong foundation for text legibility and visual impact. The secondary palette, meanwhile, introduces three types of gradients (Calm, Expressive, and Max) designed to enhance moments of high energy.

Illustration and photography

Illustration serves as a gateway to Fluz's surreal universe, where everyday objects and scenes take on a fantastical quality. At their core is an eclectic mix of objects that reflect the significant purchasing power that Fluz unlocks for its users.

Photography also lies at the core of Fluz's brand, celebrating its diverse community and business partners while bridging fantastical worlds with relatable reality. To capture the essence of empowerment and motivation, Fluz showcases both its users and businesses on the platform.

Real individuals and businesses are portrayed in captivating settings, resonating with the audience's aspirations. By embracing these elements, Fluz's sub-worlds come to life as vibrant and immersive experiences, empowering users to embark on a journey of financial empowerment and endless possibilities.

'This identity perfectly embodies a brand that truly lives by its vision, highlighted by three essential elements that guarantee its lasting impact," says Arthur Foliard, creative director at Koto. "First, consistency: consistently and respectfully using brand assets everywhere, which has been done thanks to our deep collaboration with the founder and his team. Second, flexibility: ensuring that every touchpoint and piece of communication feels uniquely Fluz. Third, distinctiveness means staying true to the original vision and making brand and business decisions that align with it."

"Koto's transformative work on our product positioning has been remarkable, resonating deeply with Fluz's core Gen Z audience," adds founder and CEO of Fluz, Maurice Harary. "Their innovative approach has not only bolstered our brand in the cashback space but also strengthened our connection with this primary demographic.

"This collaboration with Koto has been an extraordinary journey of creativity and strategic planning," he adds. "Months of dedication and their unparalleled creative genius have led to results that surpass all expectations. I feel privileged to have witnessed firsthand the incredible impact of their work. It extends beyond just visual aspects to encompass a truly authentic and distinctive brand identity."