Pops Royalty

A very old block print of oil derricks, the first Pops icon

This is what I was given

A 1940s dingbat with a couple oil derricks. Along with a couple pages of website text and a reply form.

Backstory

A multigenerational family had inherited Oklahoma oil rights. The grandfather of the family “Pops” had created a sophisticated paper system for managing oil royalties and ran a company doing so. and one member had written a software program, used by the family and friends.

This accounting system was now a software program they wanted to sell.

Task

Create a website and a logo that will help sell this software program.   

Pops royalty tonic bottle with antique label

Research

Upon interviewing the client, it was discovered:

  • Photos and documents of Pops from frontier Oklahoma
  • Extremely diverse users because anyone can inherit mineral rights
  • Much of the target audience are older, conservative farmers and ranchers
  • My budget was very small

Solution

Changing the product name from “Pops oil and mineral royalty management program” to “Pops Royalty”

  • A logo inspired a 1940 Oklahoma gas station road signs.
  • A Skeuomorphic pressed metal oval
  • A new retro font called Lobster. 
  • Referencing fossil fuels
  • freedom of mobility
  • nostalgia
  • accessible and understandable iconography.

Conceptualized a faux bottle of “frontier miracle cure/snake oil” with a goofy ironic vintage label.

  • Developed a backstory for grandpa “Pops” and a style sheet
  • Software is a cure all for the painful complexity of royalties
  • 1930s and 1940s faded colors, deco fonts
  • Wide open spaces with vintage mobility: cars, motorcycles, planes.
  • Medical allusions
  • Dust, faded paper, farm and cowboy and drugstore themes

Result

Despite fears that this might insult the family, the reception was overwhelmingly positive.

The result has been a long-term relationship producing all kinds of marketing and media as well as systems analysis