Our graphics & photography
We sometimes use branded backgrounds to bring a sense of depth, interest and ownership to our communications. Our graphics can also be combined with photography
Red branded backgrounds
Bold and abstract
We create our branded backgrounds by recolouring the Pepper ‘p’ from our logo, and creating dynamic crops of it within a graphic frame or across a whole background.
The ‘p’ should never be seen whole, and the effect should be to create subtle and abstract shapes to sit behind or around other content.
Examples of these backgrounds in use can be seen in the ‘Our brand in action’, in the Samples section.
Primary colourway
Our branded backgrounds are most often used in our three brand reds, as shown here, with one colour used for the background, another for the top of the Pepper ‘p’ and another for the bottom segment.
The Red tones can be alternated across the two ‘p’ segments and the background to create the best composition.
Primary colourway
Beyond these examples, we also use light and restricted-use gold backgrounds, as shown below.
Portrait Logo
Our graphics
Light branded backgrounds
Keeping things light
While we always lead with red, sometimes for contrast or to create an airier tone, we use light backgrounds created by using tints of our brand Deep Blue within our Pepper ‘p’ shape.
The examples here show a 5% tint of Deep Blue used for the background, with a 2% and ‘8%’ tints used for the two segments in the ‘p’. These tints can be varied depending on the application, but the effect should always remain subtle and decorative – not distracting from content or copy placed over the top.
Portrait Logo
Our photography
Representing brokers and customers
We champion individuality by embracing difference. This is our brand essence – it inspires our photography. Our image library reflects the life and dreams of our audiences.
For our brokers, that means both their professional and personal ambitions. It could be showing them at work – talking with colleagues and customers, in person or through technology. It’s also about what motivates them outside of work – hobbies, family lives, wellbeing.
For our customers, we focus on their personal and home lives. We show the diversity of people’s experiences, interests and goals. And celebrating the richness of everyday life.
Tone and perspectives.
Brokers
Customers
Our photography
Setting the right tone
The spice of life
Because we champion individuality by embracing difference, we can sometimes feature more unusual subjects and activities. Plus interesting compositions and emotive moments.
The tone of our images should feel:
- Vibrant. We choose images that have a richness and vibrancy. Sometimes we can increase the saturation of images or elements, to intensify their colour.
- Positive. Our purpose is to help people succeed. So we want our images to convey contentment, with smiling subjects enjoying life.
- Diverse. Our photography should reflect the diversity
of our brokers and customers. And show the wide
range of activities they engage in – from the everyday
to the more unusual. - Dynamic. Life doesn’t stand still, so our imagery
should be candid rather than posed. It should
capture a moment – at work, at home or enjoying
the outdoors. - Authentic. Although we primarily use stock imagery,
all our photography should feel authentic and relatable.
All subjects and locations should feel UK-based.
Life in full colour
Our photography
Perspectives
Our images should capture not only a diverse array of subjects, but perspectives too. This helps reinforce Pepper’s reputation as a trusted lender with a broad understanding – from the big picture down to the little details.
Big picture view
These images convey a wider sense of perspective, with the subjects part of or looking at a rich landscape or scene.
Reassuring presence
Shooting from behind or above the subjects can nod to the idea of Pepper as a supportive presence in the lives of brokers and customers.
At your level
These images should be shot as though the photographer is sat with the subject, part of the scene.
Life in detail
These shots zoom in on interesting features and moments that capture diversity even in the more mundane details of life. A subject’s choice of mug, of footwear, of furnishings, even of the type of biscuits they like to eat – all can convey a sense of personality.
Big picture view
Reassuring presence
At your level
Life in detail
Our photography
Abstract
Our images should capture not only a diverse array of subjects, but perspectives too. This helps reinforce Pepper’s reputation as a trusted lender with a broad understanding – from the big picture down to the little details.
Big picture view
These images convey a wider sense of perspective, with the subjects part of or looking at a rich landscape or scene.
Reassuring presence
Shooting from behind or above the subjects can nod to the idea of Pepper as a supportive presence in the lives of brokers and customers.
At your level
These images should be shot as though the photographer is sat with the subject, part of the scene.
Life in detail
These shots zoom in on interesting features and moments that capture diversity even in the more mundane details of life. A subject’s choice of mug, of footwear, of furnishings, even of the type of biscuits they like to eat – all can convey a sense of personality.
Our photography
With interwoven graphics
A supportive presence
As well as through photography, we can also use brand graphics within our imagery to create a real sense of connection.
We do this by taking the top or bottom section of our logo’s first ‘p’. We set it in Pepper Red and multiply over our photography in Adobe Photoshop. Image subjects can be cut out to sit over the top, creating the sense that the graphic is weaving through the scene. This reinforces the idea of Pepper as a supportive presence in the lives of our brokers and customers.
This treatment should not be used on every image. On a layout with multiple images, it might be used once as a hero. Or a limited number of times for smaller images – but take care not to overwhelm the visual balance.
The graphic can be scaled to create the best composition. But we never rotate, distort, blur or skew it.
Our photography
With graphic overlay
Want to combine photography with messaging? We can overlay a crop of our Pepper ‘p’ to provide a more solid background. This makes things easier to read, and reinforces our brand colours.
Red overlay
Most often, we use a red graphic, made from the ‘p’. The green section is recoloured to our Deep Red. The graphic is multiplied over the background so some of the photograph shows through, tinted red.
An additional Pepper Red colour block is added over the top. This has a gradient feather applied, to fade from solid at the edge of the image or frame, to transparent over the ‘p’. This allows some of the image to show through under the red. It also gives a more opaque background for copy, which should be set in white.
This approach can be adapted in Canva using the graphic at 90% opacity in our Mid Red.
White overlay
We also have a light overlay graphic, where the top of the ‘p’ is set in white, and the bottom in Pepper Red. The graphic is set at 92% opacity over the image.
For legibility, an additional white colour block is added over the top. This has a gradient feather applied, to fade from solid at the edge of the image or frame, to transparent over the ‘p’. Headlines should be set in Pepper Red, with any further copy in black.
