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Selected Projects

Masterbrand – Fieldstone & Starmark Rebrand
  • Masterbrand
  • Branding

Envu – Innovation Trade Show Experience
  • Envu
  • Branding
Enter the Cryptoverse

CINQ by Coinstar
  • Coinstar
  • Branding

Envu – Share the Spark
  • Envu
  • Campaign

Marriott Bonvoy
  • Marriott
  • Digital
Channel Seedsman Ignite 2023

Seedsman Ignite
  • Channel
  • Branding

Justice for Some
  • ArchCity Defenders
  • Campaign

Envu – Global Brand Development
  • Envu
  • Branding

Resilia
  • Envu
  • Campaign

Channel Brand Campaign
  • Channel
  • Campaign

CINQ by Coinstar

  • Coinstar
  • Branding
Enter the Cryptoverse

Transforming Coinstar from a coin-counting service into a modern cash-to-crypto brand with the launch of Cinq.

Challenge

Expanding Beyond the Machine

Coinstar has long been synonymous with tangible money — the big green machines in supermarkets, trusted for turning coins into cash. But the brand faced a perception problem: seen as dated, transactional, and tied to lower-income audiences. To evolve, Coinstar needed to break into digital money with a new product and brand that would connect with modern consumers.

The challenge was twofold: redefine what Coinstar could mean in the digital era and launch a crypto wallet product that was approachable, safe, and empowering for new audiences — while still rooted in the reliability that Coinstar is known for.

Audience

From Cash-Restricted to Cash-Empowered

The target audience includes cash-reliant consumers who increasingly feel left behind as money moves digital. They want more control over their financial lives, but their current options feel restrictive or out of reach.

Cinq was designed to bridge this gap — making cash usable in the digital world. By offering a simple, kiosk-centric cash-to-crypto pathway, the brand connects cash users to new financial possibilities and reframes coins and bills as tools for empowerment rather than limitation.

Tablet showing screen with CINQ website
It's time for your dollars to go digital
3 mobile screens showcasing CINQ app

Solution

Syncing Money with Life

HLK developed the new brand from the ground up — starting with the name Cinq, inspired by the idea of money syncing with life, while nodding to Coinstar’s heritage through “Cin.” The identity system embraced a bold, real, empowering personality expressed through modern typography, a distinctive logo, and a vibrant design approach.

The go-to-market strategy centered on positioning Cinq as the bridge between physical and digital. The launch campaign — Portal of Possibilities — visually transported audiences into a world where their money could take them further. Through digital ads, brand storytelling, and a dedicated website, we created a launch that signaled Coinstar’s transformation into a future-facing financial player.

Cash in your ticket to the cryptoverse
Logo - CINQ by Coinstar
One wallet. A whole cryptoverse of possiblities.

RESULTS

A Bold New Beginning

Cinq launched with a new website and brand campaign in market, signaling Coinstar’s step into digital money and creating a foundation for growth. While quantitative results are pending, Cinq establishes Coinstar as a player in the cash-to-crypto space and positions the brand to reach audiences it never has before.

Why We Love It

This was more than a product launch; it was a brand transformation. We had to honor Coinstar’s equity in trust and reliability while boldly reimagining its future as an innovator in the digital money space.