Services
Client
Year
Challenge
In the startup phase of a business the entire spotlight is shone on beginnings launching, scaling, and raising capital. Endings, are shrouded in silence, shame, and taboo. When a business comes to a close, founders are often left isolated, End Game was founded by Bonnie Chung and Zoe Stanton to change this narrative. They recognized that an ending isn't a sign of failure it's an essential, natural phase of the entrepreneurial arc.
Obsession with beginnings: The startup world exclusively celebrates launches and growth while ignoring closure.
Systemic taboo & shame: Business closures are treated as failures, leaving founders isolated during critical transitions.
Lack of Exit Literacy: Entrepreneurs lack the strategic frameworks, tools, and support to plan intentional exits.
Visual gap: The existing space lacked an optimistic, empowering brand identity capable of making business endings visible and supported.
Goal
Our objective was to create a bold, distinctive brand identity for End Game that disrupts by shifting the narrative around business closures from failure to empowerment. We aimed for a high visual impact and develop a suite of physical and digital tools, ranging from merchandise and player cards and more that make Exit Literacy approachable, strategic, and celebrated.
The impact
By reframing business closures through a confident, energetic visual identity, End Game has successfully disrupted the narrative surrounding entrepreneurial exits.
Narrative Shift: Replaced isolation and shame with a clear message: an ending is simply a strategic move forward (“Build with the end in mind”).
Systemic Clarity: The branding system seamlessly scales across digital platforms, physical toolkits, and media, establishing End Game as the go to authority on Exit Literacy.
Human Connection: The combination of structured tools, real founder player cards, and expressive illustrations created an approachable, supportive framework for entrepreneurs at every stage of their exit.
The approach
We built an identity grounded in forward movement, honesty, and intentionality. By pairing stark high-contrast visuals with expressive human elements, we turned "The End" into a celebrated step toward what's next.
1. Strategic Visual Identity & Colour Palette
We deliberately kept the colour palette limited to maximise brand recognition and immediate emotional impact.
The Palette: Built around three core shades Paper Trail (pure white), Ink (deep black), and Exit Coral (a vibrant, high visibility accent).
The Concept: Exit Coral acts as a beacon of energy and action, cutting through corporate noise and signalling that an ending is a dynamic crossroad, not a dead end.
2. The Core Symbol: Always Onwards & Upwards
To embody the core philosophy that the end of a venture is always a step in the right direction, we designed an arrow motif integrated throughout the brand system.
Dynamic Direction: The upward and onward diagonal arrow serves as a constant visual reminder of progress, personal evolution, and future opportunities.
Bespoke Illustrations: We developed custom, hand-drawn illustrations and doodle style elements (like scribbles, hearts, and underlines) to contrast with the bold, structured typography. This balances high level strategic authority with raw, relatable human emotion.
3. Sub-Brands & Suite of Assets
To support End Game’s range offerings, we created a unified sub-branding architecture alongside physical and digital tools:
Sub-Brand Logos: Distinct typographic variations created for offerings such as End Game Hotline, End Game Toolkit, End Game Stories, and Exit Interview.
Organisational Ending Cards: A suite of structured, physical cards designed to help boards, founders, and teams navigate the mechanics of shutting down or exiting cleanly.
Player Cards with Founder Stories: Custom cards detailing real founder journeys, turning taboo experiences into shared wisdom and humanising every version of “The End.”
Merchandise Collection: Statement apparel featuring bold brand typography (“Game (Not) Over”) and prominent arrow graphics, transforming exit literacy into a wearable mark of pride.
