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Ajó

Plan, save, together. A group savings brand for Gen Z.

RoleBrand identity & visual design
WithElla [Designer]
TypeSelf-initiated concept
Year2024

Ajó is a group savings brand we made up for Gen Z. The name comes from the thrift contribution system a lot of people back home already use, where a circle of friends pool money and take turns collecting it. Ella and I built the identity together. Most of the thinking lives in the boards, so I've kept the writing short.

Ajo brand cover reading an unconventional way to reach your goals, with tape strips repeating chase the dream together
The brief
About Ajo board explaining that Gen Z takes bold steps toward their dreams, so Ajo is positioned as a secure and fun way to save unconventionally through thrift contributions
The challenge board stating the brand objective: an easy, secure and stress-free way for young people to save money and finance their dreams
Personality
Brand personality board showing three pairings: youthful but stern, playful but disciplined, friendly but secure
Fintech goes formal to read as trustworthy. We built the personality out of oxymorons instead.
Design language board with the words bold, cool and simple over a portrait in white sunglasses
The identity
Eight lockups of the Ajo mark across yellow, green, beige, dark green, black and white backgrounds
The Ajo mark printed large on green fabric
Brand colour palette: yellow, malachite, beige, brunswick green, white, night and black with hex values
Typography board pairing Epilogue for headings with Urbanist for body text
In use
Campaign grid with the lines building your future 2k at a time, bold, and plan save together
Social posts including save today guide tomorrow, connect with your tribe, a bold way to save money and chase the dream together
Ad set including helping you build the life you desire, the Gen Z way to reach your savings goals, and save today dey on soft tomorrow
The pidgin in the ad copy set the tone more than the layouts did.
Ajo billboard reading plan save together above a city skyline
App screens showing a savings target, contributor list and the line save money together
Closing collage of portraits with the lines your dreams are valid and together we can
Conclusion

What I took from it.

Ajó never went past concept, so I have no numbers on how it performed. The oxymoron exercise is what stuck with me. Writing the personality as pairs of opposites gave Ella and me something to check every board against: if a layout felt only playful or only stern, it wasn't Ajó yet. I'd use that again on any brand that has to be fun and serious at once.

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