BRAND STORY GUIDE
01.
BRAND STRATEGRY History and Timeline Brand Soul and Brand Mission Where We Are Going?
04
BRAND HISTORY American Appeal has been around since 1990 and in a country where the majority of products are traded and imported from other parts of the world. Originally known as American Apparal, we are one of the few companies that is “made in USA� with the ability to actually help low income working individuals and familes.
1989/90 Canadian Dov Charney began a T-shirt brand that will later grow into American Apparel.
2000 American Apparel moves into downtown Los Angeles location to serve as its headquarters
2003 American Apparel opens its first set of retail stores in LA and New York
2005 American Apparel ranks at number 218 on its list of 500 fastest growing companies.
2011 After an $86 million loss, Canadian investers agreed to pay $45 million to AA to avoid bankruptcy.
2015 The company, which had not made a profit since 2009, filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy.
07
BRAND SOUL A guilt free purchasing experience.
BRAND MISSON American Appeal create affordable, ethnically sourced products that supports low income individuals and families in the local community.
02.
BRAND GUIDELINES Brand Mark Signatures Clear Space
10
DEVELOPMENT Our logo is the key to our identity and it is the primary visual element that identifies us. The logo is a combination of organic elements, simple shapes with a thick rule, and rounded edges that should not be changed in any way.
11
OUR NEW LOGO The meaning behind our logo is simplicity and organic. The idea is to help change the world by providing goods for low income individuals and families. The logo name “American Appeal� is to emulate what we stand for overall. The heart inside the home represents bringing individuals and families together by love. I used a san serif typeface, which is characterized by clean lines and a modern look. I used the curved version of Helvetica because it is easier to work with and gives a small distinction.
12
BRANDMARK American Appeal logo is the main asset to the visual brand and guarantees our communication for the brand. Please respect our logo and treat it properly. Our Helvetica logotype is modern yet bold curved lines and the image is welcoming and heartwarming. For the minimum logo, it should be no smaller than 0.468 inches or 45 pixels for print and web. The maximum size of the logo can not be larger than 400 pixels.
13
CLEAR SPACE Our new logo has two parts. One part is the graphic and the second part is the brand name. It all comes down to the space between, the graphic, and the word. The logo should always be protected from all sides when it is placed against other elements and the space is the distace of the the heart.
14
ALTERNATE LOGOS In addition to our master logo, there are a few alternative versions of our logo. There are two alternate logos using the color green and red-orange. There are two reversed out versions of the logo that match our brand.
15
UNAPPROVED USES For maximum and overall consistentcy, it is important to protect the identity of the logo. Always used the original brand logo and its approved logo variations.
Do not change the color of the logo
Do not distort or stretch the logo
Do not remove the logo elements
Do not change the type of the logo
Do not place elements on top of the logo
Do not tilt/rotate the logo
03.
BRAND STANDARDS Color Palette Typography Business System Uniforms
18
COLOR SYSTEM The logo should always appear on a white clear background but in some cases it can appear on the green background.
#8dbfb2 RGB: 141, 191, 178 CMYK: 26, 0, 7, 25 PMS: 623C #e04b52 RGB: 244, 75, 82 CMYK: 7, 86, 66, 1 PMS: 1785C #f6f3f3 RGB: 246, 243, 243 CMYK: 0, 1, 1, 4 PMS: Warm Grey 1 #f9e08c RGB: 249, 224, 140 CMYK: 0, 10, 43, 2 PMS: 1215
19
TYPOGRAPHY The typography used for the logo and major headlines is Helvetica Rounded, which matches the brand using simple shapes and rounded edges. For all other type and body copy, we used Lato with variance of the thinest lines to the thickest lines
HELVETICA ROUNDED BOLD BLACK
HELVETICA NEUE Light Medium Bold
20
21
BUSINESS SYSTEM The typographic elements from our brand was crafted into a visual system. We use the current business cards to get our brand noticed and let everyone know we are here to help people. With the letterheard, we use for all of our communications of American Appeal and even thank you letters if needed.
25
POSTER The typographic elements from our brand was crafted into a visual poster that goes with the visual system . It is another way to explore the brand and get it noticed. These posters can be hung practically anywhere from inside coffe shops to outdoors on walls.
27
UNIFORM Workers will wear a casual uniform of a t-shirt with our logo on the front. It comes in our brand green as well as cool white. We want our workers to be comfortable while they work and not be constricted and confined. The only rule we have is no tattered clothing, shorts, or skirts above the knee (for women). Those who work in the offices, have to wear business attired but are allowed a casual Friday.
www.mellyssaangeldiggs.com/americanappeal