Smooth branding for a fintech that wants to stand out

Creem is a Merchant of Record platform that helps teams accept payments globally—minus tax chaos, accounting pain, and cross-border drama. They reached out to us to make the brand more memorable and human, without breaking what already works (the name, color, and logo recognition had to stay).

The key rebranding goal was to turn Creem into a brand people would describe as approachable, cool, and community-driven—finances that feel smooth like ice cream. So we rolled up our sleeves and got to work.

We explored three directions, aka brand concepts, to differentiate how exactly Creem can become emotional and human.

Concept #2 won with slight notes: the ice-cream shape and 8-bit icons didn’t fully fit. So we added a bit of personality and reshaped the mascot into a scoop with a cone hat that also reads as a speech bubble. That single move unlocked emotion, communication, and flexibility across the entire visual system.

The original logo was sharp, triangular, and very fintech-coded. We kept the triangle, then softened it with a creamy texture inspired by ice cream. Same structure, but a new feeling—less corporate edge, more warmth, and still recognizable for the existing brand.

We expanded the mascot into a full character system: situational versions, festive moods, even a Bitcoin form. With eyes and arms, it can smile, panic, roll its eyes—or literally melt when things go wrong (like on the 404 page). Melted ice-cream shapes became graphic elements, adding more authenticity throughout the brand.

We locked the color palette and defined strict (but flexible) color pairings. Built a fully custom icon set with 30 options to go. Added backgrounds, stickers, speech bubbles, and supporting graphics. From now on, everything works as a cohesive system, prototyped in Figma.

Creem’s team uses Canva daily, so we didn’t fight that—we optimized assets for it. We delivered a Canva brand kit with all elements, icons, and a mascot constructor. Now the team can move fast and stay on-brand without friction.

We templated all key assets: social posts (LinkedIn, Instagram, X), profile banners, posters, and pitch decks. Multiple layout variations per asset mean flexibility without reinventing the wheel—perfect for a small, fast-moving team.

We ensured the rebrand is reflected not only in the guidelines but also applied the identity to Creem’s dashboard and app screens to show how it lives in-product. With color updates, mascot moments, and subtle micro-animations, we added the personality they were seeking.