When the subject is fraud, the importance of clarity in communications becomes even more critical. Stop Scams UK recognised our expertise in translating complex information into easy to understand, narrative driven explainers; comissioning this short animation to introduce their mission to a wider audience.

The Brief

As financial crime becomes increasingly sophisticated, the organisations working to prevent it need to collaborate just as effectively. Stop Scams UK (SSUK) is leading that effort by bringing together the banking, technology and telecommunications sectors to tackle fraud collectively.

Our role was to translate the mission of SSUK into a short explainer which could be shared with policymakers, industry leaders and international partners exploring collaborative fraud prevention. The animation needed to clearly demonstrate SSUK's mission of enabling collaboration so industries can work together to outpace fraud in the UK and internationally.

Designing for Understanding

We developed a fresh visual language built around the SSUK logo. This complimented our client's direction to avoid a dark, overly technical aesthetic often associated with cybersecurity communications, while also ensuring strong brand cohesion.

Using this aesthetic as our visual pathway, the animation began life with written creative direction and simple sketches to map out the storyboard. For this project more than any, conveying this direction visually was essential to adding a vital layer of understanding to the narrative. There was a lot of additional meaning our clients wanted to convey so our choice of illustrations and how they animated were vital in communicating this.

Sometimes visuals literally illustrated the tech and communication methods the script referred to.

While at other times the visuals crossed over to infographics displaying important facts and data. Colour helped to define the concept of fraud (dark purple) while the brand palette came to represent the three key industries who are helping to fight fraud.

Our visual language establised a Stop Scams ecosystem which could simply convey what is in reality, hugey complex.

Motion with Purpose

Building the visual language around a circular motif gave the animation a natural sense of continuity and flow. The motion shifts seamlessly between expansive views that communicate the scale of the challenge. Zooming in towards more figurative moments that reveal how and where fraud occurs.

The journey enhances the scripting by visually exploring connections, networks and ultimately communicate SSUK's aim of continuious collaboration being key to stopping fraud.

From Storyboard to Screen

Complex ideas need to be understood quickly, remembered easily and shared confidently. This animation gives SSUK a distinctive, on-brand way to explain its mission and the value of cross-sector collaboration. With storytelling that goes far beyond the script, the illustrations and animation adds layers of meaning that reinforce and expand the message. The result is a lasting piece of visual communication that not only explains what Stop Scams UK does, but helps audiences understand why it matters.