Branding, Design System

Nickel & Crime

A True-Crime podcast by Early Warning

Role: Brand Design Lead
Client: Early Warning Services, LLC
Year: 2022

Overview

Nickel & Crime is a B2B-meets-true-crime podcast developed by Early Warning, the network operator behind Zelle. Known for leveraging bank-contributed data to support fraud prevention and secure payments, Early Warning saw an opportunity to blend education with entertainment—using the wildly popular true-crime podcast format to tell real, bizarre financial horror stories from the world of fraud, scams, and account abuse.

The podcast needed a visual identity that could both stand out in the saturated true-crime space and tie back to the Early Warning brand. The creative challenge: make fraud education feel clever, captivating, and visually magnetic.

The Challenge

As Brand Design Lead, I was tasked with creating the entire visual system for this new content sub-brand. The design had to:

Translate well across digital (podcast covers, social assets) and physical (event signage, promotional materials) formats
Feel distinctly different from Early Warning’s traditional B2B visual language—yet still connect back to the parent brand
Capture a tone that was witty, bold, and energetic—balancing seriousness with accessibility and a hint of mischief

Creative Approach

Research & Development

Building on moodboards provided by the internal team, I explored typographic personalities, bold palettes, and brand-adjacent color systems. A recurring motif—a piggy-bank-shaped coin—emerged as a versatile symbol, representing both financial value and character. This "piggy-coon coin" added whimsy while reinforcing thematic depth.

Strategy & Concept

A cute-tensions paradox

I embraced the idea of “cute tensions”—a playful paradox reflecting the contrast between the severity of financial crime and the levity of storytelling. The name Nickel & Crime became a springboard for two main character icons:

A thoughtfully saving piggy bank
A quirky, trash-bandit raccoon

Together, they became symbolic of the tension between good financial behavior and chaotic fraud schemes—brought to life through illustrative storytelling.

Design System

Logo & Wordmark: A custom lock-up using Early Warning’s brand typeface—with added typographic flair for personality and memorability
Color Palette: A fresh, saturated set of hues that referenced the parent brand while bringing in digital energy and a sense of fun
Character Design: Stylized piggy and raccoon icons that became recurring mascots for the podcast’s tone, used across formats
Scalable System: Designed to perform well on small digital surfaces (e.g., album art) and in large-scale environments (e.g., live broadcast spaces)

Impact

The Nickel & Crime brand helped Early Warning reposition B2B education in a modern, emotionally intelligent way—bringing approachability and personality to a typically serious space. The visual system gave the internal marketing team the tools to expand the campaign across touchpoints while maintaining cohesion and energy.