We’ve enjoyed a long-standing and collaborative relationship with Croydon BID, having recently refreshed their brand and launched a fully reimagined website. So, when Marketing & Communications Manager Kayleigh Paget approached us to develop a concept for their new ‘Checkout Croydon’ loyalty card, we saw a brilliant opportunity to bring together our expertise across branding, design, messaging, digital strategy and campaign rollout.
Designed to boost local footfall and spending, ‘Checkout Croydon’ is a major initiative that offers exclusive discounts to residents, workers, and visitors. From brand concept through to advertising, web development, campaign messaging, and animated content, we delivered a bold, unified identity system that brings energy and clarity to the campaign – and positions Croydon as a vibrant leisure and retail destination.
Strategic branding for leisure & retail – making an impact
At the heart of the brief was a clear challenge: create a standout brand identity that could drive public engagement while sitting cohesively within Croydon BID’s broader marketing ecosystem. Our approach combined creative strategy, playful messaging, and digital-first design, all grounded in a deep understanding of consumer behaviour in the retail and leisure space.
The first phase focused on brand creation and loyalty card design, laying the foundations for a broader multichannel campaign. Working closely with the BID team, we ensured every creative decision – from typography to tone of voice – was crafted to attract and resonate with modern city dwellers, shoppers, students, and professionals.
Creating an effective brand identity
After concept development, stakeholder discussions and workshops, we agreed on the name ‘Checkout Croydon’ – a smart, retail-focused play on words that is both action-oriented and location-specific. It offers instant recognition, high campaign flexibility, and a friendly, approachable tone – ideal for social media and real-world use.
The accompanying brand mark features two interlocking C’s – for Checkout and Croydon – forming a subtle pin location icon. This versatile logo flexes across formats and sizes, backed by a vibrant neon pink brand colour chosen for high visibility and digital impact.
Messaging with personality
We worked with our client on developing a full messaging framework and tone of voice, centred around conversational copy and cheeky wordplay to make the campaign feel welcoming, dynamic, and unmistakably Croydon.
Our creative team worked with the BID to create a series of snappy, benefit-led headlines across lifestyle categories, which formed the framework to develop our concepts:
- Eating: “Deals to drool over”
- Drinking: “Bottoms up, prices down”
- Entertainment: “Fun that won’t fleece ya”
- Shopping: “Bag a bargain”
- General: “Peck up the best deals”
This playful messaging was brought to life in our creative proposals through custom visuals, with bold typography and animated animal characters – each reinforcing the fun and friendly feel of the campaign across posters, social assets, and signage. We also experimented with and used AI to help us implement the visual side of the concept quickly and cost effectively.
A multi-media, multi disciplinary approach to brand and retail campaigning
We designed the loyalty card to work both digitally and in print. The physical card, printed on recycled plastic stock, gives prominence to the brand while providing a scannable QR code to access offers. The digital version, compatible with Apple and Android wallets, extends the brand experience into the mobile space – crucial for tech-savvy audiences.
We also redeveloped and rebranded the ‘Offers’ page on the Croydon BID website to serve as the campaign’s digital hub – fully redesigned to align with the new identity and deliver a seamless mobile-first experience.
Integrated technology for seamless UX
To make the card distribution smart and scalable, we built a custom website feature that connects user sign-ups directly to the loyalty scheme for real-time card generation. Each participant receives a personalised digital card with a unique URL and QR code in their Apple or Android wallet. Behind the scenes, the website syncs user data to the client’s separate marketing platform – creating a powerful pipeline for ongoing engagement and analytics.
“We designed the technical architecture to work invisibly behind the scenes – creating a seamless sign-up journey, automating card delivery, and ensuring data integrity across platforms.” – James Dower, Head of Digital
Campaign assets & rollout
We delivered a comprehensive suite of digital and print assets to launch and sustain the campaign:
- Visual identity system and brand guidelines
- Teaser content for social media with potential for animation
- Web visuals and landing pages
- Print collateral for local businesses and public signage
- Simple, engaging explainer graphics and animations
By blending strategy, design, development and rollout support, we ensured every channel carried a consistent message and a high-impact visual experience.
Outcome
From name generation to system architecture, our agency delivered a fully integrated campaign solution – combining branding, UX, messaging, campaign concepts motion design, and web development – to activate Croydon BID’s vision and bring real value to local people and businesses.
“Relaunching the Checkout Croydon Card with tothepoint has been a real full-circle moment. They helped shape the original scheme, so it’s been fantastic to partner with them again, this time with a fresh and bold new vision that reflects the energy and variety of Croydon town centre. From branding and printed materials to digital integration, the team have delivered smart, creative, and cohesive solutions that bring the whole campaign to life. Their attention to detail, responsiveness, and ability to translate our goals into standout visuals and user experience has been invaluable.” Kayleigh Paget, Marketing & Communications Manager, Croydon BID
