Building a brand that employees embrace, members believe in, and communities rally behind.
A new name marks a new chapter, but only if people understand what it stands for.
As Sooper Credit Union prepared to become Climb Credit Union, they partnered with Strum to transform a name into a compelling brand experience. Together, we developed the strategic foundation, visual identity, and launch campaign that helped employees embrace the change, members understand the vision, and the Colorado community see Climb as more than a new name — it was a bold new direction.
The name had been chosen. Now it needed meaning. And a design framework for success.
Employees needed to understand where the organization was headed. Members needed confidence that what they valued wasn't changing. The community needed to see why this new brand mattered.
Our challenge was to create the strategy, story, and experiences that would unite every audience around a shared vision. From brand strategy and identity design to culture building, a cinematic brand film, product marketing, marketing automation, and integrated campaigns, every touchpoint worked together to make the launch meaningful, memorable, and built for long-term growth.
The result was one of the industry's most celebrated rebrands, earning 10 Marketing Association of Credit Unions (MAC) awards, including Gold honors for Brand, Culture & Internal Campaign, Product Development, Multi-Channel Campaign, Brand Story Video, and Marketing Automation, along with recognition for branch merchandising and logo design. The project was also named a MACQUEE Award finalist, recognizing excellence in credit union marketing.
