The Apprentice logo challenge - s19 ep7 kids' bank
17th March 2025
posted 17th March 2025
We're at Episode 7 of The Apprentice, and this week, the teams didn't make the most sterling decisions! The task was focused on children's online banking, but instead of hitting the jackpot, some of the designs looked a bit skint.
In this blog, we'll look at the logos from The Apprentice Series 19, episode 7. We'll explain the task, figure out what went wrong (or right), and then put ourselves to the test with a quick redesign.
The Task
For this week's task, both teams were required to create a brand-new banking app and money box aimed at 6 to 9-year-olds. They then needed to pitch these ideas to potential investors, and whoever secures the most investment wins.
Team 1 - Strong Savers
Team 1 came up with the idea of 'Strong Savers'. For the money box, they created a yellow dog mascot. This dog was then used for the game, which involved a running dog that collected/saved coins.
Image: Strong Savers Logo
Image: Strong Savers App
Credit where it's due, this is probably one of the best logos we've seen on The Apprentice from a visual design perspective. The composition is good; it's a very balanced design, and all elements go together and aesthetically complement each other. However, from a design psychology perspective and how it represents the brand, it misses the mark completely.
Text: For the font, they chose a serif font. Serif fonts are traditional, respected, and trustworthy, all positive connotations for a bank. The design has an Art Deco style appearance due to the thinner lines, which are iconic of the 1920s. Although this isn't a bad font type and does give positive associations, the muted colours and the Art Deco style have given a vintage feel to the overall design rather than a modern or contemporary one. This would be more suited to a more mature audience rather than 6 to 9-year-olds.
Colour: For the colours, they have used red and yellow. Red and yellow are both primary colours but might be a little young for the target age bracket. Red is a colour of strength, energy, and passion, all positive associations with learning to bank online. The use of yellow is youthful, energetic, and happy. However, the tone of the colours is a little dull and washy, which reduces the energy you feel with the design.
Icons: For the icon, they chose to use a dog collar. The gold collar has a tag attached to it showing a pound symbol. The collar features heavily in the design; it's large and dictates the messaging. The dog collar gives connotations of dog walking, training, and safety. This changes the overall meaning of the logo, combined with the text 'Strong Savers,' and gives the viewer the impression that they are a budget dog-walking business.
Money box & app: For the money box, they chose a dog. The illustration style of the dog was quite dated and looked more like a character from an 80s children's schoolbook (If you remember Biff, Chip, Kipper, and Floppy, you'll get what I mean). It does look like a dog-walking app over a banking app. Overall, the designs were a bit washy and dated. It didn't suit the target age range.
Team 1 - Redesign
For our redesign of the Strong Savers brand, we wanted to keep the dog mascot idea but make it a little cooler for the 6-9 age range.
Image: Strong Savers Redesign
Image: Strong Savers App Redesign
Text: For the text, we've used a sans-serif font. Sans-serif fonts are modern, simple, and clear, which is perfect for a kid's app.
Colour: For the colour, we've used a vibrant blue and green. The use of blue gives a sense of security and trust in using the app to bank. The green represents growth, money, and harmony in working together to learn to save. The use of vibrant tones adds a bit of energy and fun to the design, perfect for the target audience.
Icon: For the icon, we kept the dog mascot idea but made it 'cooler.' We chose to use a Labrador dog, which represents loyalty, trust, and reliability. The dog has sunglasses and is holding a coin in his mouth like a frisbee. This adds a bit of fun to the logo.
Team 2 - Mythical Bank
Team 2 created 'Mythical Bank.' For the money box, they created a pot of gold. In the game, they didn't feature the money box. Instead, they created a cyberhero who quizzed you about safely managing your money online.
Image: Mythical Bank Logo
Image: Mythical Bank App
Text: For the fonts, they used an organic sans serif font. As mentioned above, sans-serif fonts are modern, simple, and clear, all great associations for a bank. However, the organic styling of the font gives the impression of a juvenile feel to the logo. Although the logo is aimed at children, it's a serious topic and should reflect that more.
Colour: For the colours, they used beige, blue, and black. Beige is a colour that gives the impression of stability, comfort, and calmness. Great associations for a bank, however, not very eye-catching or a youthful colour that the target audience would be drawn to. Blue is a secure, trustworthy, and intelligent colour, great for a bank; it would have improved the logo if this had been featured within the design more. Black is a classic colour, formal and elegant. The three colours don't work very well together; they give an underwhelming feel to the design and don't stand out.
Icons: For the icon, they used a lightning bolt. This icon was a good choice for the logo design. The lightning bolt adds a bit of fun to the logo and gives a nod to the mythical aspect of the brand and its associations with Greek gods.
Money box & app: For the money box, they created a pot of gold. The pot of gold was a good idea to tie into the mythical aspect of the design, giving associations to a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. The money box didn't match the game, and, like the other team's box, the colours were muted and unexciting. Overall, like the other team, the designs were a bit washy, dated, and didn't suit the target age range.
Team 2 - Redesign
For our redesign of the 'Mythical bank', we wanted to add a bit more colour and energy to the design.
Image: Mythical Bank Redesign
Image: Mythical Bank App Redesign
Text - A sans-serif font was used to achieve a modern look appropriate for the banking and mobile app industry. Sans serif fonts are approachable, friendly, and simple. The bold text reflects the strength of mythical heroes. Adding subtle rounded edges adds a welcoming and approachable touch to the design.
Colour - For the colours, a dark blue colour was chosen to convey a trustworthy and dependable image, which is essential when dealing with finances. The bright green contrast colour adds a sense of fun and excitement to the branding, which appeals to the target audience aged 6 to 9.
Icon - The 'lightning bolt' idea has been kept from the original design, representing the magical weapon used by the God Zeus from Greek mythology. This icon has been incorporated into the negative space of the letter 'y' to make the logotype more visually appealing.
Tagline - The original tagline felt a bit wordy, so it was changed to something more memorable. The word "adventure" was added to further emphasise the branding's mythological theme.
Missed the last design challenge?
Didn't you catch our logo designs from episodes 2 and 5? You can find them here:
The Apprentice logo challenge - s19 ep2 virtual pop star
The Apprentice logo challenge - s19 ep5 virtual pop star