Its sports-inspired brand system features a dynamic podium motif, a custom-cut wordmark, and playful hand-drawn illustrations, repositioning Relesys as a true motivator in the space.
Employee engagement has never been more critical. With staff turnover at an all-time high, businesses are increasingly recognising that happy, engaged frontline workers make all the difference in delivering a great customer experience.
But in an industry saturated with tech-heavy clinical branding, how do you stand out?
That was the challenge facing Relesys, an employee app designed to connect teams from HQ to the shop floor, making communication, training, and management seamless. However, its existing branding wasn’t capturing its true purpose—helping businesses motivate and empower their workforce.
To break free from the sea of sameness, Lucky Dip developed a bold new identity that repositions Relesys as The Motivator—an energetic, people-first brand that champions frontline teams and helps them level up. At the heart of the new brand is the podium – a symbol of progress and success inspired by sports culture. It’s supported by a strong wordmark, a punchy red palette, and a motivational tone of voice, all designed to help Relesys lead the pack in a competitive market.
Championing people, not just tech
Many HR and employee engagement platforms focus on their technology and features, often missing the bigger picture: their impact on real people. For Katie Cadwell, founder and creative director of Lucky Dip, shifting Relesys’ focus from product to people was a crucial step in setting the brand apart.
“Historically, the focus in the employee app space has been on technology,” says Cadwell. “Competitors talk about their product and the functionality but forget to focus on the impact they can have on businesses.”
She adds: “It’s difficult to win on technology alone, and the branding cues in this space are tired, dull and clinical. In an industry all about people’s happiness and success, this seemed like a huge missed opportunity.”
Instead of blending in with its competitors’ sterile, tech-heavy aesthetics, Relesys now embraces warmth, energy, and motivation. Ultimately, these qualities resonate with frontline workers and the businesses that support them.
A symbol of constant progress
Central to the new identity is the podium, a universal symbol of achievement and teamwork. But rather than representing a static, one-time victory, it reflects the ongoing process of keeping employees engaged and motivated.
“Winning isn’t a one-time thing when it comes to keeping employees engaged. It’s something that needs consistent energy and investment,” explains Cadwell. “The podium is a symbol of winning that constantly adapts. Like Formula 1, it might be Max on the podium this week, but someone else next week. And when he stands there, he represents a whole team of people, which is why the podium became our shorthand for team success.”
This concept also mirrors the spirit of the Relesys team itself, which has a passion for helping their clients and truly believes they’re the best partners. “That mentality feels so similar to that of a sports team; they work as a hype man who champions teams and ultimately helps businesses to level up,” says Cadwell.
A high-energy identity
To reinforce this sporting mentality, Lucky Dip created a visually striking brand system that breaks away from the industry’s typical, muted look. The new wordmark, a custom cut of TWK Everett, gives the brand a strong presence and an unmistakable identity – one that Relesys employees and customers can wear as a badge of pride.
“There were some easy clichés we could rebel against,” says Cadwell. “The logo was an opportunity to stray from the standard icon and sans serif combination. We moved to a singular wordmark to create something with energy and presence.”
The colour palette also plays a key role. “All sports teams have one colour, so with other competitors reluctant to own one, we went all in on red to make a statement,” she adds.
The reality of frontline work
To further move away from generic corporate aesthetics, Lucky Dip collaborated with illustrator Sylvia Tack to bring Relesys’ core audience of frontline workers to life in a more human and relatable way.
“We worked with a brilliant illustrator to create miniature scenes of workers in action—as an alternative to the cheesy stock image of someone holding a phone,” explains Cadwell. “Because the reality is, frontline workers might have five minutes a day to check their app, so we wanted to show that.”
Alongside these character illustrations, playful spot illustrations and hand-drawn elements add a sense of fun and warmth. “For spot illustrations, we just had fun,” she says. “We created memorable metaphors for the product features, injecting some wit into the brand. Who doesn’t want a dog chasing a trail of sausages over a bar graph?”
Adaptability and impact
Beyond the visual identity, Lucky Dip overhauled Relesys’ entire brand ecosystem, ensuring the new look is as functional as it is dynamic. This included a new website, social toolkits, and extensive digital guidelines, giving the Relesys team the tools to implement the brand seamlessly.
“A broad brand toolkit allows some applications to be high-touch and some to be simpler,” Cadwell explains. “For example, such a strong headline typeface (CoFo Kak) gives the sales team an easy asset that’s distinctly Relesys without needing the creatives to sign them off. Meanwhile, the podium system and illustrations give the designers the opportunity to play and flex the brand to any touchpoint.”
A brand the team can rally behind
A rebrand is only successful if the internal team embraces it, and for Relesys, the response has been overwhelmingly positive.
“The team has really rallied behind the brand,” says Cadwell. “They’re taking the identity to new events and have made some big client signings since launch (they’ve even got custom tracksuits!).”
Looking ahead, Lucky Dip and Relesys plan to build on this momentum by experimenting with social media, paid ads, and more motion-based applications.
“We’re excited to see where they take it and continue a brilliant collaboration as they rise.”
