Denim: Company Rebranding

Catchword developed a new brand for Axle Payments, a trusted fintech provider specializing in North American freight and logistics. Founded in 2017, Axle Payments was created to help freight brokers work smarter and grow faster by eliminating cashflow bottlenecks through back-office automation, digitized financial infrastructure, and access to affordable working capital.
But the company’s founders saw a future beyond truck shipping finance to logistics in other areas, including aviation and rail. And when the pandemic exposed the weakness of today’s supply chains, they conceived a universal, resilient freight payment network for moving goods worldwide. This vision required a new brand, not tied to a terrestrial vehicle metaphor. And they needed everything—research, positioning, name, trademark prescreening, and visual identity system—within 8 weeks. In addition, the client strongly preferred an exact .com domain name.
Catchword worked closely with the client team to map out audiences and competitors and articulate brand fundamentals, including brand pillars, philosophy, and reasons to believe. Because Axle was built on practical tech by and for working people, just like the blue jeans we all wear, the name Denim was the right fit for the new brand—and it was acquirable as a domain name. It’s unexpected and unique in the space, clearly standing out from competitor names such as Convoy and eCapital, making it more engaging and “stickier” for potential customers. The name’s graphicality inspired the denim blue of the identity. A variation on the capital D, the logo includes nested shapes that convey collaboration, support, and the ordered complexity that is logistics. The wordmark is simple (all lowercase, sans serif) and stylish, just like blue jeans.
Denim announced the rebrand in September 2022 following the close of a $126m Series B. The messaging Catchword developed appears verbatim on the new site and is evident throughout the company’s marketing materials.
The client was delighted with the new brand’s richness and authenticity and how well it fits the company’s fully remote work, down-to-earth culture. In 2023, the company was named a Best Workplace for Innovators by Fast Company and a Best Place to Work by Built In.