Lantern has designed a new identity for artificial intelligence brand Futr. Futr provides AI-powered conversations right across the messaging platforms that people use every day from Facebook to Alexa, and Skype to Slack.
Imagine Whatsapping your local authority to ask when your bins will be collected. Imagine asking Alexa how much holiday you have remaining with your employer. Imagine reporting crimes to your local police force via Facebook. If the bot can't answer, it immediately passes it to a person who can, translating into 120 languages in real-time. Local authorities and police forces can use it without charge during the COVID-19 crisis, and several are already using it to update people on changes, gain feedback on policing, and reduce the strain on public services at this challenging time.
A series of stakeholder workshops led to a new brand strategy for Futr: how it makes life easier by saving time, money and facilitating communication. A new strapline 'Liberation through conversation' quickly and simply communicates Futr's core purpose and reflects its intention to improve life and work for everyone through simple and meaningful chat.
"The entire brand is about simple and easy communication, but that wasn't coming across in how they described themselves," explained Ryan Tym, Director at Lantern. "So, we created messaging, using a short, punchy tone of voice, showing the impact Futr has on people's lives."
This messaging includes phrases such as 'Automagical chatbots,' 'Manage sick days without the headache,' 'Imagine an HR team fluent in 120 languages,' and 'Imagine a police force with an instant response time' - these have all been designed to help to sell the emotional benefit of Futr to its customers in a way that is playful and accessible.
The icon is both an "F" and a human face that could be winking at you. It's an avatar that people will interact with, and a radical departure from the abstract shapes and chat bubbles that dominate this sector. It marks out Futr as a step-change in the world of AI.
In the same way, the color palette is bright, optimistic, and liberated for the future - a world away from the corporate teal of Futr's competitors. The Telegraf font brings further personality and life to the brand, connecting people to this communication revolution just as nearly two centuries ago the telegraph showed people a new way to connect with each other.
