London-based brand company Ragged Edge has worked with American fintech startup Empower to transform its business, giving it a new identity and even a new name – Tilt. Founded in 2016, Tilt aims to provide access to fair credit for millions of overlooked, hardworking Americans.
In the US, over 100 million people struggle with financial support, and are frequently turned down by traditional lenders whose rigid criteria they fail to meet. But Tilt hopes to change that, by placing less significance on squeaky clean credit scores, and by looking at more than 250 non-traditional signals of financial health when considering new applicants.
Recently expanding its range of products, and evolving from a company that offers quick fixes in moments of crisis to a long-term financial partner, Tilt realised it was time for a rebrand. The team tasked Ragged Edge with creating a new identity (and name) for their business that could reflect their commitment to uplifting hardworking citizens, and disrupting the personal finance category.
Most notably, the renaming of the company drew inspiration from the idea of ’tilting’ the odds back in favour of those in need. The new name is subtle but hints at the gradual progression offered by Tilt, as its customers slowly ‘graduate’ through the products and hopefully improve their financial position.
Tilt’s dedication to its mission is accentuated through a new logo that takes the shape of an italicised wordmark. Leaning to one side, it nods to the name itself, but also appears as a signature, bringing intimacy to the brand.
This feeling of confidence is further cemented through a predominantly black and white colour palette, which reinforces Tilt’s no-nonsense approach and makes the brand’s communications feel clear and grounded. This is complemented by a secondary ‘chartreuse’ yellow, which injects some excitement into the branding and helps it to cut through the noise.
Speaking of noise, the Ragged Edge team were keen for Tilt’s brand to stand out in a sea of overly-friendly fintech companies, opting for a tone of voice that is “soulful and intelligent”. Fia Townshend, copy director at Ragged Edge explains: “Tilt customers don’t need another friend. They need help kicking down doors. So the Tilt voice has an urgent and unwavering belief that emboldens people to keep pushing.”
Finally, Ragged Edge worked with Bangkok-based artist Pearl Chuaynarong on a series of illustrations that “embrace the messiness and imperfection of human effort”. Her painterly style helps to humanise the overall brand, and reflects the day-to-day realities of Tilt’s prospective customers.
Reflecting on his team’s collaboration with Ragged Edge, and the success of the new identity (which has resulted in a 70% higher click-through rate on Meta), Tilt’s founder and CEO Warren Hogarth says, “We believe financial opportunity should be within everyone’s reach. Our underwriting and products make it possible, and now our brand makes it unmistakable. With the new Tilt identity, Ragged Edge captured not just who we are now, but who we aspire to be.”