For over 18 years Equals Money has offered competitive service and innovation in the world of global payments, helping businesses move and manage money. After the merger of Equals and Railsr: two leading innovators in the space, it was time for a change to reflect a new chapter.
In a crowded field where other providers are either too big to care or too small to deliver. There was a need to stand out and reflect the Equals unique offering — top-notch innovation coupled with high-quality service. The brand needed a new strategic and visual identity that matched up to this impressive offering. SomeOne worked with Equals to move them forward into this new space, with a strategic positioning centred on the idea of ‘Be the answer’.
Collaborating closely with the in-house design team at Equals, headed by Justin Hannemann, SVP Marketing – SomeOne created a new visual identity rooted in the new brand narrative. From brand property to imagery — each brand asset tied back to the one core thought of ‘Be the answer’.
Only a brand called Equals can truly own the equals symbol. The symbol has evolved to carry greater significance and ownability. Now created from two stacked coins — a subtle nod to the financial sector and a quiet smile in the mind. The shorthand appears across apps and social media, while a playful animated version brings to life the concept.
In a sector of sameness, it was the right time for Equals to do something to challenge the expected. A deep dive audit of the sector revealed a sea of fintech gradients and corporate blues, leaving us plenty of room to disrupt the norm when it came to brand colours. From one single fruit, to a refreshed cornucopia — Equals ditched their previous Mango Yellow and corporate Navy, for a bold Raspberry, premium Plum, a warm Peach and a vibey Lime — a colour palette which can be flexed depending on tone and audience.
The visual identity heroes a signature 3D asset with an aesthetic derived from the coins in our logo.
Using strong perspective and depth of field, the coins represent that breakthrough moment of clarity where a solution comes perfectly into focus — a visual metaphor for ‘Be the answer’.
For fintech, it often boils down to finding the perfect balance between ‘Safe’ (trusted) and ‘Sexy’ (Innovative)
Designed to work as hard in the product as it does in the brand, the identity implements its visual principles across UI and UX.
We created a cohesive system that informs everything from interface components and navigation to interaction and motion, delivering an experience that feels intuitive, consistent and distinctly Equals.
The brand uses the typeface ES Dokument by the font foundry Extraset; a perfect balance of character and legibility that manages to be both human and warm, while retaining a feeling of trust and security.
In the iconography, where a glass aesthetic echoes our signature brand property to deliver a sense of clarity, creating light, translucent forms that feel precise and considered, reinforcing the idea of transparency and ease across the overall system.
Our collaboration with the internal creative team gave us a deeper understanding of the Equals journey to date. This helped us to create an identity which preserves the trust of the established customer base while simultaneously crafting a bold, disruptive identity to attract new markets.
Our brand positioning is baked into every visual asset. We see it in our photography style, which leverages depth of field to create an intentional point of focus, guiding attention to what matters most within the frame while allowing surrounding detail to soften into the background.
The brand launched in June, at Money 20/20 in Amsterdam, one of the world’s largest conferences dedicated to global fintech, banking, and financial services.
While competitors leaned into safe and corporate aesthetics, the Equals stand was distinct and eye-catching.
Alongside Money 20/20, Equals took over CNN Business online with their new visual identity, advertising and interviews, while any potential customers were driven to the new Equals website.
Underpinned by clarity, the new identity is informed by the stacked coins present in the Equals logo we see today. Introducing an optimised visual language that cuts through financial complexity to bring structure and movement into clear alignment.
SomeOne became a true extension of our own team — genuinely nice people all pulling together to help us re-energise Equals for an AI-driven future.
David Law — Founding Partner
Fi Casey — Creative Director
James Bell — Senior Designer
Joe Gregory — Motion Designer
Ben Field — Account Director
Jessica Appleton — Account Manager
Rokabye — Visualisation
Equals In-house team — UI/UX