Kaitlin Olson - Crafting the home of homeownership

Defining a leading brand & sharing it with the world

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MegaStar Financial is a Denver-based mortgage bank on a mission to shake up home finance. Founded in 1999, they bring a new-fashioned approach to homeownership with better technology, smart design & human connection.

MegaStar needed to redefine their brand to reach a new generation seeking to reach one of life’s biggest milestones. But after 20 years, despite a growing footprint & presence on par with bigger banks, they lacked cohesion. They needed a unified brand. So, we set out to reshape MegaStar for a new era.

Joining as lead of MegaStar's new in-house creative team in 2014, we crafted a fresh vision, story, identity, & experience for the brand—and showing the world how MegaStar shakes up the today's industry & leads the charge of tomorrow’s.

THE TEAM
Agency Partner: AOR | Creative Direction: Jessie Woodhead | Art Direction/Design/Copywriting: Kaitlin Olson | Design: Daniel Sperry

Defining a brand as the home for homeownership

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In 2014, the Dodd Frank Act was starting to rebuild consumer trust in the mortgage industry after having been shattered by the 2008 financial crisis. The entire category was left in shambles & comeback had been slow. In a market ripe for disruption, it was time for MegaStar to make waves.

Charged by MegaStar to create a fresh brand position to launch them into a new era, we jumped into uncovering what set them apart & kept business booming during the crisis while competitors dropped like flies.

Big Idea Workshop

With leadership & influencers in tow, we shipped out for a 2-day workshop in Santa Barbara, California, & zeroed in on their big idea: humans are at the heart of homebuying. It’s not about a transaction—it’s about finding a space to build our lives, dream of what’s next, & lay a foundation for the future. MegaStar exists to open the front door.

Value Proposition

How they do that is what sets MegaStar apart from other banks—not only do they provide personal homebuying (or refi) guidance for all—they tailor financing options for every client, coach 1-on-1 through the entire process & onward after closing, & do it all online. Or in-person if that's your thing. Because it's about you.

That’s a big deal. If soaring prices & saving up a down payment weren't off-putting enough, homebuyers trying to secure mortgage financing face a journey that's often overwhelming, outdated, & fractured. But not so with MegaStar at their side.

MegaStar's Essence

Led by a core belief that financially responsible people deserve better home financing options & access to credit, MegaStar uses better tech, smarter design, & a more human connection to offer modern mortgages built for all.

We turned these insights into a new position that taps into MegaStar's DNA & carries the power to manifest across the brand's story, identity & experience: MegaStar is the home of homeownership.

Messaging with the power to make waves

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With our home of homeownership position leading the way, we partnered with Denver agency AOR to create a messaging platform to guide MegaStar's new voice. We crafted a comprehensive framework including the brand's tone, story, mission, tagline, personality, core messages, culture & core traits, promises & benefits—all made to speak to what really matters most to MegaStar's team, clients, & consumers.

Tone of Voice

With our home of homeownership approach as a guide, we crafted a new tone of voice that's full of possibility. Trustworthy & confident, responsive & innovative, caring & expert. This isn’t just another bank dealing in transactions. MegaStar is a personal mortgage advocate for everyone—whatever your situation.

Brand Story, Mission & Tagline

Expanding on MegaStar's equity in their 20-year old tagline, America's Most Trusted Mortgage Company, we crafted their story to show how they've earned that reputation of trust—one mortgage & one client at a time—using their approach of innovative tech & human connection.

Personality & Core Messages

Pulling from our discovery insights, we filtered the personality traits defined by their team into what speaks directly to homebuyers: a trusted financial ally, innovation & tech-savviness, & personalized expertise.

Culture & Core Traits

With 20+ nationwide branches, we articulated the shared traits & beliefs of MegaStar's team to bring them together no matter where they are.

Brand Promises

We gave MegaStar's founding promises a refresh for a new era & to welcome the next generation of homebuyers & mortgage pros in a compelling way that resonates with how we think & talk about homeownership today.

Key Benefits

We shifted the conversation for MegaStar with their homebuyers with messages that get to the nitty-gritty & speak to misconceptions about the homebuying process: consumers just don't know the myriad of options available to tailor mortgage financing to their needs, may have poor perception of the industry, or simply not know how much better the experience is with the right ally.

A visual identity as unconventional as its brand

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Logo

We refreshed MegaStar’s logo to convey an experience that’s modern, yet human—just like them. Then, we built variations of the logo to improve usability across a spectrum of digital channels & create a more flexible, scalable mark.

Typography

Using the sans typeface, Montserrat, we flushed out a system that's flexible across mediums, with an elegant simplicity in lighter weights & bold impact in heavier weights. Neo-grotesque Roboto rounds it out with modern approachability.

Color Palette

We refreshed the brand colors to bring the palette into a new age with a fresh, confident feel & putting the spring back in its step.

Imagery

Using custom photography & imagery, we gave a sense of how MegaStar shakes up home finance across a set of guidelines, imagery styles & toolkit that keeps it bright, personal, & smart.

Guidelines

We united MegaStar's assets into its first-ever brand guidelines to guide the vision across a new era. With standards in place, we forged ahead to express their story & identity in every touchpoint.

Designing a branded web experience that shakes it up

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The first extension we tackled covered was MegaStar's digital experience with a revamped website & mobile app—making them some of the most powerful tools in their arsenal. We streamlined every feature & redefined its content strategy to make MegaStar's story & people the stars.

Now, users can easily find MegaStar's online application, locate their neighborhood branch, & connect with personal mortgage experts. The site works in tandem with the mobile app, MegaStar Connect, which looks as good as it works & serves as a vital tool for homebuyers—from traditional boomers to tech-savvy millennials.

The result is a fresh digital experience that's current but not trendy, capable but not corporate. A different kind of mortgage bank that’s here today & leading the charge tomorrow.

A brand film that puts MegaStar at the heart of homebuying

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Partnering again with AOR, plus production studio VOCA Films, we created a brand film to help launch MegaStar's new story to the world. With just a one-day shoot, crew of 10, & 4-week turntime, we storyboarded, scripted, cast & produced a brand film for MegaStar that expresses the brand's true spirit.

Capturing how the brand is woven into the fabric of homebuying & the passion of its team is conveyed through a deep dive into the process at MegaStar, images of actual homebuyers walking through the process, & shots of their people at work.

In capturing the dynamism of the brand, the film marked the total transformation & re-established MegaStar's place at the heart of homeownership.

A brand experience with human connection at its heart

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To foster internal buy-in of MegaStar's refreshed identity, we designed a branded environment at their HQ office. By transforming the space at HQ into a brand ambassador itself, the team took to MegaStar's new story & identity—believing in & delivering on its promises—and became as passionate advocates for the brand as they are for each client.

We wrapped up our holistic extension across every touchpoint. From email & business cards to social posts, the brand is now true to MegaStar's DNA as the home of homeownership.

Transforming the journey to homeownership

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Leading design & copywriting for MegaStar’s in-house team, we fully expanded its creative strategy, messaging, identity & experience across every medium.

Since launch, MegaStar has seen a +25% boost in total annual lending volume & expanded their footprint with 5 new branches. Over the course of 3 years, we grew from a nimble in-house team into a full-service creative department—and helped MegaStar grow its greater nationwide team by 50% in the process.

MegaStar stands for so much more than mortgages. Today, they stand united—rallying behind a powerful, shared vision—to keep shaking up home finance.