So long admin.
Sole operators don’t start a business to run a business. They do it for passion, work-life balance, and, well, because there’s a serious gap in the market for designer pet hairdressers.
But MYOB, a leading business-management software company in Australia, discovered sole operators down under were losing 17+ hours a week to business admin. Whether they were bamboozled by clunky spreadsheets or apps too complex for their needs, MYOB saw an opportunity to drastically improve the lives of sole operators with an app just for them. And they needed a voice that felt as far from doing admin as possible.
Enter Solo by MYOB – the admin app for sole operators with way better things to do. AKA, their actual work. From payroll and tax management to taking payments in a tap(p), Solo brings together everything a sole operator needs to manage their business.
G’day doing what you do best.
At Re, we developed a refreshingly simple name and verbal identity for Solo that cuts through competitor gobbledigook to speak to Aussie sole operators on their level. Ultimately it's an app making admin feel easier and less intimidating, empowering sole operators to break free of those admin shackles.
Sole operators to the front.
MYOB needed their new offering to capture their audience’s attention from the get go – ‘The Sole Operator App’ wasn’t feeling particularly sexy though. So, we looked to simplify and spotlight sole operators more colloquially. The name Solo speaks to you on your level, one-on-one—it puts you first, not admin. It’s a name that says ‘it’s time for your solo’, beckons you to the stage, hands you the mic, and presses play.
As a name, Solo is fertile ground for headline messaging that puts our audience front and centre. Lines like ‘So long admin’ gave our designers a fun opportunity to integrate the logo directly into the messaging.
Energy unlocked.
The brand idea for our visual and verbal identity was ‘energy unlocked’ because once sole operators’ admin is tamed, they can put all their energy into their actual work.
The business admin space is a sea of sameness, where users drown in business jargon that doesn’t resonate or make life any easier for them. So we crafted Solo’s voice to eye-roll at jargon and speak unbusinessy banter you actually understand and want to hear, freeing you up to get back to work.
Across in-app messaging, eDMs and OOH, Solo’s TOV is as (painfully) relatable as it is encouraging. Invoicing isn’t ‘effortless’, it’s chase-free. There’s no ‘tasks to complete’, you’ve got stuff to get done. Expenses aren’t ‘submitted’, they’re snapped n’ tracked.
The stage was set.
Behind every great ad campaign, there’s a boss-ass tone of voice blushing with pride. That’s what we do anyway. With Solo, we had the pleasure of working alongside M+C Saatchi as they created Solo’s launch campaign Do Less Work Work. They leveraged our unbusinessy, ‘tude-filled, seriously smart tone of voice principles to playfully highlight the difference between the work sole operators love, and the tedious ‘work work’ that holds them back. First introduced on social media by comedian Tom Cashman, the idea of doing less work work gained traction with sole operator influencers before rolling out across film, out-of-home, radio, social, and digital channels.
Get back to work.
Sole operators are a vital part of Australia’s business ecosystem. Helping them do exactly what they do best, and not admin-ing by lamplight every night, was our visual and verbal identity’s north star. We delivered on it with a brand that speaks to you on your level and un-borings the boring bits of running a business. Because when sole operators are on track, we all benefit.
Re specialises in brand, digital and experience design. They’ve got an award-winning writing team that helps shape all sorts of brands, all around the world. See the work here.
Annabel Cook is a Senior Writer at Re with a fondness for crafting words that make people smile, laugh — and when she really puts her back into it — cry. Most importantly, though, she’s on a 5-year quest to come up with a word that means ‘nice to hold’. Send a hello and words of encouragement here.
So long admin.
Sole operators don’t start a business to run a business. They do it for passion, work-life balance, and, well, because there’s a serious gap in the market for designer pet hairdressers.
But MYOB, a leading business-management software company in Australia, discovered sole operators down under were losing 17+ hours a week to business admin. Whether they were bamboozled by clunky spreadsheets or apps too complex for their needs, MYOB saw an opportunity to drastically improve the lives of sole operators with an app just for them. And they needed a voice that felt as far from doing admin as possible.
Enter Solo by MYOB – the admin app for sole operators with way better things to do. AKA, their actual work. From payroll and tax management to taking payments in a tap(p), Solo brings together everything a sole operator needs to manage their business.
G’day doing what you do best.
At Re, we developed a refreshingly simple name and verbal identity for Solo that cuts through competitor gobbledigook to speak to Aussie sole operators on their level. Ultimately it's an app making admin feel easier and less intimidating, empowering sole operators to break free of those admin shackles.
Sole operators to the front.
MYOB needed their new offering to capture their audience’s attention from the get go – ‘The Sole Operator App’ wasn’t feeling particularly sexy though. So, we looked to simplify and spotlight sole operators more colloquially. The name Solo speaks to you on your level, one-on-one—it puts you first, not admin. It’s a name that says ‘it’s time for your solo’, beckons you to the stage, hands you the mic, and presses play.
As a name, Solo is fertile ground for headline messaging that puts our audience front and centre. Lines like ‘So long admin’ gave our designers a fun opportunity to integrate the logo directly into the messaging.
Energy unlocked.
The brand idea for our visual and verbal identity was ‘energy unlocked’ because once sole operators’ admin is tamed, they can put all their energy into their actual work.
The business admin space is a sea of sameness, where users drown in business jargon that doesn’t resonate or make life any easier for them. So we crafted Solo’s voice to eye-roll at jargon and speak unbusinessy banter you actually understand and want to hear, freeing you up to get back to work.
Across in-app messaging, eDMs and OOH, Solo’s TOV is as (painfully) relatable as it is encouraging. Invoicing isn’t ‘effortless’, it’s chase-free. There’s no ‘tasks to complete’, you’ve got stuff to get done. Expenses aren’t ‘submitted’, they’re snapped n’ tracked.
The stage was set.
Behind every great ad campaign, there’s a boss-ass tone of voice blushing with pride. That’s what we do anyway. With Solo, we had the pleasure of working alongside M+C Saatchi as they created Solo’s launch campaign Do Less Work Work. They leveraged our unbusinessy, ‘tude-filled, seriously smart tone of voice principles to playfully highlight the difference between the work sole operators love, and the tedious ‘work work’ that holds them back. First introduced on social media by comedian Tom Cashman, the idea of doing less work work gained traction with sole operator influencers before rolling out across film, out-of-home, radio, social, and digital channels.
Get back to work.
Sole operators are a vital part of Australia’s business ecosystem. Helping them do exactly what they do best, and not admin-ing by lamplight every night, was our visual and verbal identity’s north star. We delivered on it with a brand that speaks to you on your level and un-borings the boring bits of running a business. Because when sole operators are on track, we all benefit.
Re specialises in brand, digital and experience design. They’ve got an award-winning writing team that helps shape all sorts of brands, all around the world. See the work here.
Annabel Cook is a Senior Writer at Re with a fondness for crafting words that make people smile, laugh — and when she really puts her back into it — cry. Most importantly, though, she’s on a 5-year quest to come up with a word that means ‘nice to hold’. Send a hello and words of encouragement here.
Further Reading
