overview
Steve is a car salesman who operates as an independent personal brand across multiple car dealerships. Rather than relying on dealership-provided materials, Steve needed a recognizable visual identity that could follow him from location to location and help customers remember and reconnect with him regardless of where he was working.
challenge
Approach
At any given dealership, Steve competed with 10+ salespeople using nearly identical, templated business cards and marketing materials. In an industry where customer memory directly impacts sales, the challenge was to create a distinct personal brand that customers could easily recognize, recall, and seek out—ensuring Steve remained top of mind even as dealerships changed.
Steve’s audience was predominantly older men and women who often held negative perceptions of the car-buying process. To succeed, his branding needed to reduce intimidation, build trust quickly, and feel noticeably different from traditional dealership sales materials.
Steve’s sales approach centered on transparency, humor, and acknowledging common frustrations with the car industry. I translated this approach into a cohesive personal brand that emphasized approachability and honesty. By leaning into a kitschy, retro-inspired aesthetic, the design intentionally broke from the polished, corporate look typical of dealership branding, helping Steve feel more human and trustworthy by contrast.
The visual system was designed to be flexible, allowing it to adapt across different dealerships while maintaining consistent brand recognition.
Design
Using 1970s-inspired typography and graphics, I created a visual identity that reflected Steve’s approachable personality while remaining clear and legible for an older audience.
Typography: Bold, retro typefaces were selected to evoke nostalgia and increase memorability, making Steve’s name stand out at a glance.
Illustration: Playful graphic elements were incorporated to mirror Steve’s humor and act as a visual shorthand for customers—signaling familiarity and approachability (“I want to talk to this guy”).
Hierarchy & Layout: Steve’s name and contact information were prioritized through scale and placement. His name appears prominently on both sides of the business card, with the reverse side featuring a large, yellow-highlighted scripted font to feel personal and immediately eye-catching.
Color Palette: Warm, high-contrast colors were chosen to draw attention without overwhelming the viewer, deliberately differentiating Steve’s materials from the standard white-and-blue dealership cards used by other salespeople.
This system was extended to additional collateral, including flyers used at a separate dealership, demonstrating how Steve’s personal brand could remain consistent while adapting to different environments.
Result
Steve’s branded materials became a recognizable reference point for customers, improving recall and follow-up communication. Customers began using the illustrated card as a quick visual cue when reaching back out, reinforcing his personal brand across dealerships. Over a five-month period, Steve consistently held the top sales record at his location, demonstrating the impact of strong personal branding in a highly competitive sales environment.
