Otta, a job search platform with listings from startups to tech giants, has rebranded with London-based branding agency Ragged Edge.
Otta isn't your run-of-the-mill job search platform, and both teams worked together to flip the job search sector on its head. The peppy pink and youthful yellow stand out against a sea of stiff and detached job ads. They've brought back the personal touch that the market has been missing and are inspiring people to stop searching for a job and instead find a brag-worthy career.
The process of looking for a job is no longer fit for purpose and big industry players have failed to innovate. Sam Franklin, co-founder, Otta, approached Ragged Edge because he and his team wanted to fix what they saw as a broken system and rethink the whole sector.
“We’re stuck with an endless stream of irrelevant job ads, faceless recruiters pushing unsuitable roles, and a distinct lack of clarity around what companies are actually like,” says Sam. “It’s dehumanising, transactional, and it turns candidates into commodities. We approached Ragged Edge to aid us in our ambition to completely reimagine the experience.”
Amplifying the best in people
“The category has its priorities all wrong,” says Max Ottignon, co-founder, Ragged Edge. “So we needed to change how people thought about searching for a job. To go from simply finding work to finding your calling.
“Looking for work has become a numbers game. It’s a draining and often hopeless experience. Otta is now the antithesis of the corporate job platform. Instead of search boxes, overwhelming options and corporate waffle, it’s simple, bold, and unapologetically expressive. Only when you’re more open about who you are and what you want can you find true fulfillment in what you do. So the Otta identity and OOH campaign invite you to amplify yourself.”
This is brought to life in everything from the warm, characterful wordmark and typographic system that start off quietly and get progressively louder, to the bold color palette that’s impossible to miss. Instead of neat, functional iconography that sits comfortably in the background, Otta’s icons have the confidence to take center stage. Meanwhile, the tone of voice challenges all the mundane parts of the job application experience and works to build momentum and confidence.
Turning the tables
Ragged Edge’s strategic approach flips the category on its head by putting the needs of the candidate first at every point. Gone are dense, complicated job specs and confusing application structures. Instead, Otta offers job seekers a new way to present themselves to potential employers, amplifying who they are and what they can bring to a business.
“To redefine the candidate experience, this rebrand had to be much more than just a disruptive identity” Says Max. Otta and Ragged Edge worked collaboratively to ensure the brand comes to life across every part of product. The result is an experience that delivers only the best jobs, enriched applications, unbiased opinions, and no search box.
“Instead of a soft launch and performance marketing, we went all out with an OOH campaign to get the new brand noticed. Headlines including ‘Your calling is calling’ and ‘The only job search that does you justice’ shout out Otta’s intentions.”
Driving change
“We'd been growing steadily and working to help candidates find jobs at companies like Google, Spotify and Monzo. But the time was right to shake things up in an ailing sector with changemaker thinking,” says Sam. “We approached Ragged Edge because of its experience in helping fast-growing businesses step up to the next level. The team challenged all category preconceptions and pushed us towards a resolution that’s going to lead the charge in our sector.”
About Ragged Edge
Ragged Edge is a branding agency for people who care less about how things are, and more about how they could be.
We partner with Change makers. Ambitious start-ups like Bulb and Laka. Industry leaders like Grey Goose and Google. People with the vision and determination to redefine what’s possible. And we work with them to build brands capable of creating change.
But change is never easy. So we’re here with you. With ruthlessly simple ideas, rich with feeling. Ideas that don’t conform to convention. Ideas that become actions, beyond a guidelines pdf.
We will challenge you. We will change you. And you might just change the world.
Follow Ragged Edge on Instagram @ragged_edge, Twitter @ragged_edge or visit www.raggededge.com
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