Pepper Money appoints The Royals as it enters the next phase of brand expression

Leading non-bank lender Pepper Money has appointed The Royals as its new creative agency, marking the next chapter for a brand that has been carefully built from the inside out and is now ready to be expressed in bolder ways as the business grows.

The appointment follows an extensive Request for Proposal process led by Pepper Money’s Head of Brand and Marketing, David Berry, and Tumbleturn Marketing Advisory partner Dan Johns.

Pepper Money’s Chief Marketing Officer Sarah Pikardt said the change marks a natural next step as the brand continues to mature and grow with confidence.

Over the past 25 years, and especially the last decade with String Theory, we’ve built a brand that truly lives and breathes across every part of our organisation. Together, we created a brand platform grounded in ‘real life’, with a clear sense of purpose, values and tone into how we show up for customers, brokers and each other.

“Those foundations are strong and deeply felt inside Pepper Money. I’m incredibly grateful for String’s leadership and the legacy they leave with us. It gives us the confidence to move into this next phase with The Royals, focusing on expression and impact while building on what’s already well established,” Pikardt said.

The appointment follows a decade-long, trusted partnership with “brand engine” agency String Theory, led by Navigator Dr Jane Cherrington, which played a pivotal role in shaping and embedding the Pepper Money brand across culture, customer experience and partner relationships.

Dr. Cherrington said the transition reflects the strength and success of the long-standing partnership.

“Working with Pepper Money over the past decade has been incredibly rewarding. When we first started, non-bank lending was in many ways still emerging, and our role was to help build the brand from the ground up, while also elevating the category.”

“Our role has always been to help build brands to a point where they don’t need us anymore. That time has come. Pepper Money now truly lives and breathes its brand – in how people show up, how partners are treated, and how customers experience the business. It’s a hero brand: transparent, human, and purpose-led. The foundations are strong, and we’re proud to see the next chapter begin with The Royals.”

The Royals bring deep experience in the mortgage and non-bank sector, having worked with two non-banks on major campaigns previously.  

Managing Partner Andrew Siwka said: We’re drawn to ambitious brands with ambitious goals. Pepper Money has strong foundations, a clear purpose, and a deep, very real understanding of its customers and broker partners. That insight creates the perfect conditions for our ‘most interested’ ethos to thrive, not to mention, we’re excited by the aligned cultures for challenging category norms!

The transition has been designed to ensure continuity, with String Theory providing an extensive collegial-style handover, sharing knowledge, assets and working files. Key team members from String Theory Jeremy Taine and Tim Blower are acknowledged for their long-standing contributions, alongside suppliers including audio post-production and music composition Liquid Studios and photographer Alistair Guthrie, responsible for Pepper Money’s distinctive ‘stock’ imagery featuring its people, customers, and partners.

Tumbleturn Marketing Advisory partner Dan Johns said: “It has been a privilege to help Pepper Money appoint The Royals. They brought exceptional clarity to the process, from a strong articulation of their values to a clear long-term ambition for the brand. Combined with consistent senior engagement and open, constructive feedback throughout, this created the conditions for a highly effective and collaborative selection process. The result is a highly aligned partnership with The Royals, well positioned to deliver on Pepper Money’s future ambitions.”

Pepper Money partners with a village of specialist agencies, including media agency Customedia and creative communications and PR agency humann. communications, to create and execute integrated, high impact campaigns across both trade and consumer media.

The leading non-bank lender has already helped more than 614,000 customers and is on track to reach one million by 2029. In 2025, the business delivered record results with originations climbing to $10.3bn across Mortgages and Asset Finance, up 47% year on year, while Assets Under Management grew to $21.8bn.

String Theory will continue to support selected projects in the short-term.