Azteco. Banking the unbanked in Latam
& Africa
CLIENT: AZTECO
PROJECT: BRAND, VISUAL IDENTITY, UI
ROLE: DESIGN AND ART DIRECTION
As of 2023, approximately 1.7 billion people remain unbanked, making up about one-fourth of the global population.
Azteco's bitcoin vouchers offer a simple solution, enabling everyone to access bitcoin without the traditional obstacles of limited phone processing power, restricted data bandwidth, or the complexities of account creation.
While owning a bank and sending money are considered common in much of Western society, the same cannot be said for many countries in Central/Latin America and Africa. In South Africa, for instance, obtaining an identity card to open a bank often means waiting in line for 8 hours a day, something day-wage workers can't afford.
As a result, many communities worldwide—from farmers in Costa Rica to migrant workers in Brazil—are embracing bitcoin as an alternative to traditional economies. For this population, Azteco bitcoin vouchers, starting as low as $5, present an opportunity for better financial self-determination. In collaboration with the Azteco team, we created the Azteco brand and website, providing easy ways for everyone to buy and redeem bitcoin in seconds without having to create an account.
Bitcoin for every bit
of life
The Azteco digital product mirrors a text messaging interface, where Azteco acts as a facilitator, prioritizing user choice. This design choice is informed by the widespread use of SMS interfaces for everyday transactions such as saving, sending, and spending, especially in Latin America and Africa.
Additionally, a key principle of the website is its unwavering commitment to a mobile-first experience. This approach gives priority to devices with lower computing power and caters to users in areas with limited data bandwidth. By doing so, it ensures accessibility and ease of use for a wider audience.
Product: Mobile first, conversational experience
Bitcoin is a category laden with prejudice, misuse, and, consequently, misunderstanding. To reorient conversations around bitcoin, it is crucial for the Azteco website to serve as a story hub, narrating real stories about how bitcoin is used daily in the context of saving, sending, and spending.
Content: stories from the rest the rest of the world
Through a social crowdsourcing campaign, we developed six bitcoin stories that illustrate how it enhances life worldwide, revealing the humanity behind this often misunderstood world. This campaign is ongoing, and the story hub is regularly updated with new submissions from Azteco users
Three months after the launch of the new brand, Azteco achieved a sales record, marking a historic milestone for the business. The tagline "For every bit of life" was recognized as a resonant positioning strategy, assisting Azteco in onboarding new partners worldwide. The visual identity and its scalable framework effectively paved the way for Azteco's expansion through campaigns, events, talks, and panels across Latin America (LATAM) and South Africa
The bits that counts
