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Russell Brown Design & Art  



Brand Identity

Bó






Role: In-house Head of Design
I led the UX and UI design teams and oversaw the visual direction across all brand touchpoints — from the app experience to the card, packaging, and all marketing communications.



Building a challenger brand with one goal:
to help people do
money better.





The challengeWith 40% of UK adults holding no savings, the real question was: how do we help people build a financial safety net? The answer wasn’t just about saving — it started with smarter spending. That’s where Bó came in: a digital-first bank built to help people take control of their money, one everyday decision at a time.






The Bó app was designed to be simple and intuitive to help people understand the steps they need to take to get better with money day by day.






Building BóThe brief was bold: create a brand that stood apart — one that would spark a shift in how people think about and manage their money.






Standing out in a crowded categoryIn a sea of start-up neo-banks, we knew we had to break away from the usual category codes. That meant ditching the expected colour palettes and familiar design tropes. Bó needed to stand out — bold, distinctive and unmistakably different in how it looked, felt and spoke.










The Feel of the RealI leaned into analogue charm, playful nostalgia and lo-fi textures to capture the emotional benefits of Bó — making money feel more human, accessible and real. The creative blended guerrilla tactics with supermarket-style promos: populist, punchy, and full of personality.






Visualising Heuristics
We turned complex financial behaviours into simple, memorable actions like Split, Set, Track
— giving people practical, easy-to-follow steps to help them change how they manage their money.





Say Hello to the Yellow!From its punchy name to the bold yellow sun logo, Bó launched as a lifestyle-led banking brand designed to stand out — vibrant, optimistic and impossible to ignore.









Bringing it to life across every touchpointFrom designing the app and launching the ad campaign to creating the debit card, carrier and even urgent COVID advisory messaging, we delivered a full suite of communications — all designed to help Bó customers feel more confident and in control of their money.






Results
  • Achieved 130% customer acquisition against targets in the first six months and a 20% lower CPA than target.
  • Executed one of NatWest’s most successful corporate media launches.




—
Credits
Clair Whitefield In-house copywriting partner
Fjord Agency  Brand Strategy 





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