branded look logos
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Brand Standards Manual February, 2015
branded look logos
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branded look
The unique brand for the Lutheran High School Association of St. Louis and its schools, Lutheran High School South and Lutheran High School North, is designed to provide unity of look and message as the organization strives to expand its reach and grow as an organization. This document is intended for all those who communicate for LHSA and the high schools, including all staff, faculty, and coaches, and also must guide the efforts of volunteers, parents and students under the direction of school personnel. Communication encompasses many avenues including internal documents, brochures, email and web content, student recruitment and alumni relations materials, and even school and sports uniforms and campus accoutrements. It is vitally important that, as the brand grows, LHSA and the schools are portrayed as a cohesive entity, while at the same time recognizing and promoting the individual strengths and unique characteristics of each school. To promote this understanding and perception, the brand must be presented in a visually consistent manner. Many people are going to touch this brand, and while they should use their creativity to bring the high schools to life in the eyes of various audiences, it is important to do so within the guidelines presented in this brand manual. Great brands build strong bonds with their audience by being consistent. They are instantly recognizable and immediately stand for something. And they speak a common language, despite the fact that they may be speaking to very different people from very different places. By following these parameters, the brand can effectively communicate the educational experience that LHSA provides, while staying true to the unique character that defines each high school. Selection of logos, related brand standards, and rules about use are under the direction of the LHSA President. Questions about proper use may be directed to LHSA Marketing.
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logos
Historically, the visibility of our two high schools has happened individually, with each school adding its own opinion and input to its communications efforts. In addition, LHSA was portrayed as a separate parent entity, with communication pieces displaying an unrelated color. The compass emblem was introduced and streamlined over the last decade as a way to tie together LHSA and the two high schools.
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With the introduction of this brand standards manual, LHSA and the schools are branded together with one set of formal logos, and the schools are further represented by cohesive informal logos.
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Overview of logo use:
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1. To effectively communicate the unity and strength of our three entities, the formal logo should be the first and primary choice in all communication. 2. In addition, each school has used the shortened initials “LS” or “LN” over the years to informally represent the school. To support the brand consistency, the “LN” and “LS” have been identified as the informal logos for each high school. The two informal logos mirror each other and feature block letters; the simplicity complements the formal logo. 3. Consistency is paramount for the success of the brand in presenting our excellent programs. We recognize that everyone will have their opinions and suggestions on logos. While other artistic suggestions, opinions and creativity are appreciated, it’s important to note that logo versions other than those represented in this manual are not allowed to be introduced or used except at the direction of the LHSA President. 4. Descriptions and rules for the use of the logos are provided in the following pages.
Spirit Wear, Club/Activity Shirts & Uniform Considerations: A design that doesn’t specifically use the formal or informal logos MAY be appropriate for spirit wear, club/activity items, and school and athletic uniforms; approval is required from the school principal with assistance from LHSA Marketing as needed. The school mascot, described later in this document, may be used.
Campus Accoutrement Considerations: Any institutional identity items that are ordered for the school campuses must be reviewed for brand identity standards by the school principals with the assistance of LHSA.
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Formal—Color, Black, White Definition of Formal Logo:
The formal logo consists of the compass emblem and the words. The logo is not official if either component is used independently.
With tagline
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Without tagline
Black version for all three entities
White “reverse� version for all three entities
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logos, etc.
Use of the formal logo The Formal Logo is the first and best choice. The formal logo is made up of the “compass” AND the complete name of the school or Association. The “compass” standing alone is called the “emblem.” Use the formal logo to identify the school or Association name on digital, paper and specialty items including but not limited to the following: Letterhead and envelopes Forms Website Business cards Report Cards Transcripts Formal brochures External posters Powerpoint presentations Prezi presentations Press Releases
Advertising Mailings Email headers Banners Promotional items Annual Report Special event invitations Special event programs Student handouts Parent handouts
Tagline: The formal logo may be used with or without the tagline “Nurturing Christian Hearts, Building Strong Minds,” however, the tagline should be included wherever possible to share the message. If the logo is used twice in a piece, the front or back cover should feature the logo with the tagline. The second logo may be featured without the tagline.
Use of the compass emblem: The compass emblem or elements of the emblem should not be used alone unless the formal logo is also present. When the formal logo is present, the emblem or elements of the emblem can be used as a watermark or graphic element within a design.
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branded look logos
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logos, etc.
Use of the Formal Logo Size:
The primary logo should not be sized smaller than 2.5 inches wide in any use. The logo should be proportioned to fit the layout: for a full-size page, the general rule of thumb is no larger than one third of the width of a page.
Vertical Format: The primary logo may be used in the vertical format for business cards. Gateway Digital Press and LHSA Marketing can provide assistance.
File Extensions jpg
Use for most layouts Available in color with and without tagline Available in black with and without tagline
png
Use when placing the logo over a gray or light colored background, or over a photo to eliminate the white “box” that occurs with a jpg file. Available in color with and without tagline Available in black with and without tagline Available in a white or “reverse” with and without tagline
eps or ai
The white ai logo file should be used on a black or very dark background to “reverse” the logo so it can be seen. Available in white (reverse) with and without tagline Other vector logo files are available for special projects.
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Informal Logos—LN & LS
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The informal logo provides additional recognition for our schools. The block letters provide uniformity across both schools as an extension of the continuity achieved in the formal logos. The informal logo may be used: • on car stickers • on promotional items • on spirit wear • on sports uniforms and equipment • on informal posters and flyers • on social media platforms • as a graphic design element on a formal piece in conjunction with use of the formal logo • on decorative elements/signage on the campuses • when the formal logo has to be sized smaller than 2.5”. Since the LN and LS do not portray the actual names of our schools, when possible also include the informal name of the school, i.e. Lutheran North or Lutheran South, depending on the usage. The best example of this is on a car decal where “Lutheran South” or “Lutheran North” appears below the “LS” or “LN.”
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name usage Brand consistency
For brand consistency, it is important for all faculty, staff, and coaches to use the correct form of the school name and acronym. CORRECT: Lutheran High School North Lutheran North LHSN Lutheran High School South Lutheran South LHSS Lutheran High School Association of St. Louis (formal usage) Lutheran High School Association
INCORRECT: Lutheran North High School LNHS Lutheran South High School LSHS
Full name or Acronym? • A general rule of thumb is to spell out the entity name on the first usage in any piece, followed by the shortened name in succeeding references. Examples of the shortened name are Lutheran North, LHSN, LN, North. • Use one version of the shortened name throughout your piece for consistency. Don’t mix in all of them! Example: Lutheran High School South will welcome 150 prospective students to 8th Grade Visitation Days on September 26 and 28. The students will begin their day at LHSS at 9:00 a.m.
OR Example: Lutheran High School South will welcome 150 prospective students to 8th Grade Visitation Days on September 26 and 28. The students will begin their day at Lutheran South at 9:00 a.m.
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fonts
Consistent use of fonts is very important for a cohesive, branded look. To support the fonts in the primary logos, the following fonts should be used in all materials. These three fonts are representative of the fonts in the formal logos.
Cambria
Cambria is a serif font, with “hooks” or “feet” on the individual letters. This paragraph is shown using the Cambria font. Cambria may be used for headlines or text copy and for the body of a letter. Cambria may be used as regular, italics, bold or bold italics.
Lucida Sans
Lucida Sans is a “sans serif” font, without any “feet” on the individual letters. This paragraph is shown using the Lucida Sans font. Lucida Sans may be used for headlines or text copy and for the body of a letter.
Calibri Calibri is another “sans serif” font that is similar to Lucida Sans. It may be used as an alternative to Lucida Sans. The text type throughout this document is shown in the Calibri font.
Use of decorative fonts: The only exceptions to the use of Cambria, Lucida Sans and Calibri is for a headline to add impact to a document or art. Generally use of any other fonts should be limited to a single letter or several words.
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mascots
The Lancer and Crusader The school mascots are traditionally used as part of the athletic programs, but may also be used to add brand identity in conjunction with the formal or informal logo. The colors in the Lancer have been updated to coordinate with the consistent gold across all three logos. The Lancer and Crusader digital files are available in jpg, png and vector files to accommodate white or dark backgrounds and specialty items.
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Any printed or digital piece that is being distributed externally should include the entity address, phone and website address.
Street Addresses:
Road may be abbreviated as “Rd.” in both school addresses. The “and” must be spelled out in “Lucas and Hunt” for LHSN and LHSA.
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Phone Numbers:
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Phone numbers should be listed with dashes when inserted in blocks of text. The area code must always be included with the phone number. Do not use parentheses around the area code.
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Website Addresses: Website addresses are recognizeable without the “www” prefix. In order to save space and present an updated look, the “www” should be dropped from all listings of our websites and references to other websites.
Correct:
lhsnstl.org Incorrect: lhssstl.org lhsastl.org
www.lhsnstl.org www.lhssstl.org www.lhsastl.org
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The Collective Identity Each high school is represented by its school colors: Lutheran North: maroon and gold Lutheran South: black and gold
mascots
For the Lutheran High School Association, gold is the color that unifies both schools. Gold will be combined with the maroon and the black to represent a unified organization and system.
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All printed and web materials, promotional items and clothing should follow school colors for each school and the three collective colors for LHSA.
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The Color Specifications
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The gold color is now standard across all three logos. The official color values for printing are specified below: Gold
PMS 130 CMYK Values:
C=2
M=38
Maroon PMS 194C CMYK Values:
C=0 C=7
M=100 Y=64 K=33 M=100 Y=54 K=35
Y=100 K=0
Use of Other Colors • Gray may be used by all three entities to provide depth and interest for the branded look. • The Gold color may be screened back to use as a background color. • The Maroon color may be screened back, but generally then looks pink and should be used sparingly. • Use of other colors should be considered carefully and used sparingly with a specific purpose in mind.
Paper Colors Paper colors should complement the maroon, gold and black entity colors. Avoid use of other colors except for special projects where the brand is demonstrated through a black or reverse logo.
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style rules
Additional rules may be added as needed. Alumni
A single male graduate is an alumnus. Two or more male graduates are alumni. A single female graduate is an alumna. Two or more female graduates are alumnae. A group of male and female graduates are called alumni. The short informal way to refer to any of these graduates is as alums.
Apostrophe Use Proper use of apostrophes is important for our branded look. Please refer to these reminders: • A word ending in “s” does not automatically mean it needs an apostrophe! • If the word means “more than one” but is not possessive, no apostrophe is needed. • If the word is possessive (shows ownership), then the apostrophe is needed. • Note examples pertaining to school groups below. Boosters’ Club Men’s Club Mothers’ Club Moms In Prayer
Lutheran entities The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod on first reference; LCMS on succeeding references Lutheran Church Extension Fund on first reference; LCEF on succeeding references Lutheran Elementary School Association on first reference; LESA on succeeding references Lutheran Family and Children’s Services on first reference; LFCS on succeeding references
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images
When choosing a photo Taking and choosing the best photo varies greatly depending on what you’re using it for. However in the general marketing sense, all photos depict our schools and should be taken/chosen with the following thoughts in mind: • Generally two to five people in a group shot is better than a crowd shot. • How is diversity portrayed and/or perceived in this photo? Is there a balance with other photos? Diversity may include gender, race, grade in school, etc. • Toss out blurry photos. • Are the photo subjects happy, smiling and engaged in the reason for the photo? How will their expressions or body language represent our schools? • What does the background look like? Are there distracting elements and/ or things sticking out of people’s heads? Whenever possible, analyze your background BEFORE taking the photo. When inserting images, be sure to retain the original proportions. Photos should not be stretched to fit a space!
Image specifications Photos used in printed documents and publications should be 300 dpi or higher. Photos for web use may be 72 dpi.
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branded look logos
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templates & samples Where do you go from here?
Templates for various types of layouts are available as PowerPoint files. The templates include the correct fonts, the logo, and contact information. Two types of templates are included: • documents (PPT files sized for 8.5x11 layouts to print) • PPT format (PPT files in standard size for digital viewing) Sample layouts using the templates are also available as PowerPoint files. All files for LHSA, LHSS and LHSN are shared in Google Docs under the folder:
LHSA Brand Standards and Files
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