New leadership and a market shift.  

Young Americans Bank & Center for Financial Education not only had a leadership shift, but was also navigating change within the banking industry that was becoming highly competitive for reaching kids. Fintech brands such as Greenlight and NerdWallet, as well as traditional banks, were moving full speed ahead with products and services targeting a 6-21 year old audience. The key difference: Young Americans was the only institution in the world just for kids and also provides award winning, hands-on educational experiences to teach them financial smarts. The new SVP for Innovation & Growth, Gaddi Layden, told Spoke that she wanted to start, “A financial movement for kids, not just a change, but a movement within our Denver community and nationwide.” 

Let's create a brand with the child's future in mind.

In the age where kids seek out purposeful connections in everything from gaming to social media, Young Americans needed a brand that was truly diverse and inclusive. Spoke had to capture the excitement and energy of Young Americans' immersive learning experiences – all while creating a brand symbolizing the empowerment of youth who are leading the way forward in their financial literacy.

The story was started by founder Bill Daniels.
We wanted to start there, too.

Bill Daniels was a WWII fighter pilot, known as the "father of cable TV", and former owner of the Los Angeles Lakers. In 1984, he read a newspaper article about how a bank denied a group of 5th graders who were seeking a small business loan. This sparked the idea for starting Young Americans. And by 1987, they opened their doors as the only place in the world where kids could Take Charge of their financial future. This is the heart of the brand story. 

Instead of talking at kids we’d rather have a conversation with them.

Young Americans needed a brand to carry their legacy forward. It had to be uplifting, modern and appeal to parents and educators while speaking to both through the kid’s perspective. It also had to stay close to the organization’s values and community impact – all reasons why Bill Daniels founded Young Americans. We started by aligning leadership and stakeholders through workshops. We also conducted over 400 surveys to kids to understand what they wanted for their financial future. This provided the strategic clarity to create a refreshingly human brand you can see in the examples below.

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