Episode 19

Seeing Green (ep 19)

In this episode, we trace the strategic history of fintech giant Chime to expose how design, psychology, and color theory fuel modern banking.

We break down Chime’s calculated play for the underserved gig economy, the ethical entanglements of their early Doctor Phil daytime TV endorsement, and the catastrophic Covid-era algorithm errors that left paycheck-to-paycheck users locked out of their accounts for months.

We also examine the 2026 liquidity landscape as Chime clashes with Venmo and Cash App , the structural similarities to our own Webby-winning campaign for healthcare disruptor Centivo , and why a tech company’s sudden choice of a serif font is the ultimate sign of a corporate identity crisis.

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territorial is an advertising agency that helps brands find their place in the world. To see our work and learn more about what we do, visit weareterritorial.com.

Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/weareterritorial

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Show art & design by Chris Allen

Editing & Video editing by Patrick Elmore: https://www.patrickelmore.co/

Marketing by Billy Silverman

Episode music by Blue Dot Sessions

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About the Podcast

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Strange Coordinates
Brands are compass points to unexpected places

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About your host

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Topher Burns

Born in Albuquerque, hardened in NYC, and rapidly softening in Portland Oregon. Former TV blogger, current tarot novice, and future bronze medal gymnast at the 2048 senior olympic games in Raleigh-Durham. Founded a branding agency for regenerative businesses. DM for pics of his cats.