USAA × Noblr — Brand Integration

Bring Noblr
into the family.

When When USAA acquired the telematics insurer Noblr, it needed the brand folded in fast — without losing the smart, witty tone that made Noblr worth acquiring in the first place.

  • CREATIVE DIRECTION
  • ILLUSTRATION SYSTEM
  • WEB DESIGN
  • BRAND ROLLOUT
The Approach

MOVE FAST
STAY PLAYFUL.

There wasn’t time to design in sequence. The new website and a new illustration system were built in parallel, refined against each other, until the tone was distinct enough to feel like its own brand and clear enough to explain a complicated telematics product in seconds.

“The tension wasn’t creative — it was speed. Build a brand system fast enough to launch without flattening what made Noblr worth acquiring.”

STEP ONE:
EXPLORE

With no time to design in sequence, the new website and a new illustration system were developed in parallel — early concepts pushed out fast, then tested against each other for tone.

We had to move very fast so we parallel pathed the new website design while finding and executing new illustrations.

STEP TWO.

Refine illustration style and concepts.

STEP TWO:
REFINE

The illustration style was pushed until it earned its place — sharper concepts, a tighter line, a mark that could sit next to the USAA logo without looking borrowed.

STEP THREE:
MERGE

Everything came together in the final landing page. The product lives on a phone, so the phone lives in every piece of art — a quiet reminder that the app is the product, working in the background to save members money.

STEP THREE.

Merge it all together to make the final landing page. By showcasing the app based product on a smartphone in all the art we are able to give a nod to the need to download the app and show how the app is constantly working behind the scenes to save users money.

STEP FOUR.

Implement the new brand and style guide through all of the customer touchpoints.

STEP FOUR:
ROLL OUT

The new brand and style guide followed the product everywhere a member would find it — down to the App Store listing.

The Role

Creative Director

Directed the illustration system, website design, and brand rollout across customer touchpoints, working in parallel to hit an aggressive launch timeline.

THE TAKEAWAY

Speed and character don’t have to trade off. The fastest way to launch a brand people trust is to know exactly what you’re not willing to lose.