Brand Identity
BEST BUY
Brand Identity Standards This book explains the look and feel behind Best Buy. We know that looks aren’t everything, but our company is built on the trust of our customers, and it is vitally important that they recognize us instantly and think of us often. This book explains every last detail of our image, and how you can connect us with our customers.
Contents Mission Statement: 4
File Reproductions: 14
How to use the Brand ID: 5
Our Colors: 15
The Logo: 6
Secondary Colors: 16
Incorrect Usage: 8
Tone of Voice: 17
Clear Space/Sizing: 9
Stationery: 18
Our Icon: 10
Signage: 20
Our Typeface: 12
Final Thoughts: 22
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Who we are Technology is constantly changing, and our customers are highly aware of this. With such accessibility to products it is essential that Best Buy stays ahead of the trends and delivers the utmost best products at the lowest prices. With an overbearing amount of technology in our daily lives, people have begun to take advantage of ease and availability of the very things we sell. The things that were once “gadgets” are now essential for Canadians—and it better have Wi-Fi. People are emotionally attached to the things we sell. We don’t sell computers and phones, we sell an experience. Let’s face it, without the latest technology you’re missing out. We enable people to connect with each other, and experience the world differently. We don’t sell computers and phones; we sell people a part of themselves. So let’s make it affordable, and give them the best damn products they can buy.
Ron Wilson, President & Chief Operating Officer
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How to use this book This book serves as a reference guide for our brand for all designed and printed material. It is not a learning tool, and it will not teach you what kerning is. In fact, if you don’t know what kerning is, then this book probably isn’t for you. This book is for designers to ensure that our branding is consistent. We are a very large company, so it helps to have rules set in place to make sure that our stores Ontario match the ones in British Columbia. If you are using this book then it’s likely that you are about to design some new materials for our brand. Please take the time to read it through and consult it when designing any materials. If you need access to any of the materials in this book please refer to page 22 for more information on how to contact corporate headquarters.
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IDENTITY Our Logo This is our logo. For many years the Best Buy tag has represented our commitment to low cost. But Best Buy provides more than just the best deals. We provide solutions for the home and make people’s lives easier. With technology moving towards more online shopping, the Best Buy logo is there to remind people that we are always open and accessible right from their home.
1. This logo is to be used for all printed collateral including all printed publications, advertising, billboards, posters, flyers and product packaging. 2. For black and white reproductions please use the monotone version. This version provides the greatest contrast, and a consistent look when printing documents without color. Use only on black and white pieces.
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1. 2.
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IDENTITY
1. Rotate the logo. 2. Add unnecessary effects to the logo. Things like lighting effects, bevelling, embossing, and drop shadows are confusing.
4. Recreate the logo. If you don’t have it, get it. 5. Scale the logo unproportionately.
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3. Change the logo colours. This includes using variations of our blue and yellow. We have specific colors. See page 8 for them.
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Do Not:
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Incorrect Logo Usage
6. Make alterations to the logo content. 7. Place the logo over busy photography. 8. Use background colours that conflict with the logo. Avoid similar shades of blue whenever possible. 9. Use an older version of the Best Buy logo. We’re looking to the future, not the past.
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Clear Space and Sizing The Best Buy logo needs to be seen and understood as quickly as possible wherever it appears. One way to ensure this is by maintaining clear space around the logo. Clear space is an area that is kept free of any other text, graphic elements or other visual distractions.
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This logo must be at least 0.75 inches. If you require something smaller, please use the icon version (pg 11).
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There should be a minimum amount of space between the logo and any copy that is at least the cap height of “Best Buy�. This also applies to the edge of a page, sign, or label where it appears.
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IDENTITY Our Icon We understand that a “one size fits all� mentality can be limiting, which is why we developed a stripped down version of our logo. This version will never be used as our primary external signage, but can be used in displays, ads, and online. Since the text is detached from the icon, it means that it can be scaled smaller than our logo. However it still has its limits. Please do not shrink the icon smaller than 0.25 inches in height, it really doesn’t need to be on anything smaller than a pen Also note that there is no hole in the small version of the icon. Use this version at your own discretion.
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BEST BUY * This logo must not be smaller than 0.25"
E 11
Our Typeface Avenir The Avenir type family is our corporate font. Avenir is french for future, and that is where we see ourselves. Avenir is an organic and humanist font compared to many of its geometric counterparts. It is great for anything from headlines to dense body text. Use Avenir wherever possible.
Bb Bb ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz (.,:;?!£$&@*) 0123456789
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ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz (.,:;?!£$&@*) 0123456789
Avenir Heavy For titles and displays use Avenir Heavy. If legibility is an issue Avenir Black is also available, but for the sake of consistency please stick to Avenir Heavy. You will likely need to adjust the kerning a bit. As Avenir gets larger it will need to be kerned more tightly to avoid any unsightly gaps and spaces that may appear.
Bb Bb ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz (.,:;?!£$&@*) 0123456789
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz (.,:;?!£$&@*) 0123456789
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FILE REPRODUCTIONS What works where All of our major graphics are available from our head office(s) and can be obtained from our database. All graphics are cross-platform, and are typically available in .eps format. Simply place a request with one of our representatives at the head office, and they will gladly supply you with all of your graphic needs.
Please ensure that material is reproduced using the proper format. For print, all images should be CMYK at 300 dpi, and in .tif format or saved as a high-quality pdf. Any images output for web should be in RGB at a max of 200 ppi, and saved as a .jpeg or .png file.
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If you’re using our logo for print, make sure it has more pixels than you can count.
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Our Colours Three’s Company
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Our colours distinguish us from the rest of the crowd. For many years people have looked to the bright yellow tag to find us, and they will continue to do so for many more. We are moving into the future with confidence and clarity. These are our colours, loud and clear.
BEST BUY BLUE PANTONE DS 207-1 C CYMK 100/50/0/0 RGB 0/113/188 HEX 0072BC
BEST BUY YELLOW PANTONE DS 5-4 C CMYK 0/10/100/0 RGB 255/221/0 HEX: FFDD00
BEST BUY BLACK PANTONE DS Process Black C CMYK 0/0/0/100 RGB 35/31/32 HEX: 231F20
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OUR Colours Secondary Colours These are our secondary colours. They help people navigate our bigger stores and assist in the management of an enormous number of products. You’ll see these colours on packaging and in-store signage as well as our many printed advertisements and catalogues.
Computers & Tablets
TV & Home Theatre
Movies & Music
CMYK 75/85/22/8 RGB 92/67/124 HEX: 5C437C
CMYK 80/16/56/1 RGB 26/157/136 HEX: 1A9D88
CMYK 13/100/100/3 RGB 206/33/39 HEX: CE2127
CMYK 20/92/51/4 RGB 192/56/92 HEX: C0385C
GPS, Car Audio & Satellite Radio
iPod, Headphones & Portable Audio
Home, Furniture & Kitchen
Office Supplies, Ink, Telephones
Cell Phones & Smartphones
Appliances
CMYK 67/0/94/0 RGB 90/186/79 HEX: 5ABA4F
CMYK 82/30/26/1 RGB 18/141/168 HEX: 128DA8
CMYK 3/66/78/0 RGB 236/119/72 HEX: EC7748
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Video Games
Cameras & Camcorders
CMYK 0/37/86/0 RGB 251/172/61 HEX: FBAC3D
Tone of Voice Hello, how are you? We like to stand out from the rest of the crowd. That said, we’ve grown out of our purple hair and piercings phase, and we try not to say “whazzzup” too often. We like to find ourselves somewhere in between a hip radio DJ and a buttoned down businessman. We write how people talk, and avoid corporate speak wherever possible. We also refrain from saying “dude” and “radical”. People come to us for trustworthy solutions to their technological problems. Our language shouldn’t scare them off by being too formal, but it should imply that we know what we’re talking about, and that they’ve come to the right place.
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Stationery Communication Packages Best Buy is largely in the market of consumer electronics and forwardthinking technology. But that doesn’t mean we strictly use e-mail. We have developed a cohesive communications package with everything from envelopes and letterhead, to stylized books and binders. All of this material is available in digital templates and can be obtained by contacting our head office. Ready-made pieces can also be ordered at any time if no personalization is required.
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Signage A Big, Bold Beacon of Light Our signs are very important to us, but they are even more important to our customers. The Best Buy tag has always been a beacon for great deals on consumer electronics, and never fails to be seen. Our exterior signs always use the main logo, which is positioned on a grey background to provide for a great deal of contrast between the building and the sign. It is a 3-dimensional piece of artwork made from high density polyurethane foam, a material that is waterproof and very durable. Exterior signs are a whopping 12 feet tall. We want to be noticed.
128.5"
8"
Exterior Signage Dimensions
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144"
Interior store display using icon version.
Building signage at Sunridge Mall in Calgary, AB. A grey background helps the sign to stand out and be seen from afar.
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FINAL THOUGHTS Hello Again Thank you for taking the time to read this book. We hope that it has given you an understanding of the look and feel of Best Buy Canada. Just remember that this is only a book. Our real identity comes from each and every member of our team, and just like our members, Best Buy will change and grow over time—only our logo won’t have grey hair. We are looking to the future, and we know that change is inevitable. In fact it is more or less the foundation of our business. That said if you ever feel like you have a new idea or direction for Best Buy Canada, we are listening. Contact us, we would love to hear about it. Just make sure we hear about it before we see it in action. Our branding guidelines are in place for a reason and they serve to make us the strongest company we can possibly be. This book is here to guide us into the future, not to write it for us. That is where you come in. Whatever your position is with Best Buy we thank you for hard work, and we look forward to hearing your ideas for the future.
Best Buy Canada Ltd. 8800 Glenlyon Parkway Burnaby, B.C., V5J 5K3 customerservice@bestbuycanada.ca Tel 1–866–BEST BUY (1–866–2378–289)
Change is inevitable. Change is constant. —Benjamin Disraeli 22
This is not an official Brand Identity. All content designed by Neil Manuel. Neil Manuel Design www.neilmanueldesign.com