BRAND GUIDELINES
2016 - 2017
Last updated 8/31/16
1
INTRODUCTION
The guidelines contained in this document only pertain to the
ASWSU brand itself, not the entities that ASWSU oversees or
has involvement in. For example, an event that ASWSU
sponsors does not need to follow the entire branding
guidelines, only those that pertain to the logo (so the event
can use it on their promotional material). When a document
is produced by ASWSU, such as a powerpoint presentation,
legislature, meeting minutes, press releases, and anything on
letterhead, the branding guidelines must be followed entirely.
Similarly, campaigns and initiatives that ASWSU creates can
have their own brand identities.
In order to maintain the ASWSU brand integrity and
recognition, these guidelines must be followed and enforced.
If you have any questions about the ASWSU brand, usage, or
to request the use of a modified logo, please email the ASWSU
Director of Communication at [email protected].
Last updated 8/31/16
2
TYPOGRAPY
The ASWSU font is Gotham, however, Montserrat is free,
suitable alternative. Montserrat can be downloaded here.
The “Associated Students of Washington State University”
subtitle of the logo is ITC Stone Serif, which can be
downloaded from WSU’s typography website. A free
alternative is Palatino, which is pre-installed on all Mac and
Windows computers.
Official ASWSU documents must abide by the following
guidelines: Headers and document titles will be in Gotham
Bold or Montserrat Bold, followed by body content in ITC
Stone Serif or Palatino.
The acronym “ASWSU” must be all capitalized and in-text. If
“ASWSU” is standing alone, such as a document title,
letterhead, sponsorship image, print-graphics, etc., then the
logo guidelines must be followed.
Last updated 8/31/16
3
COLOR
ASWSU adopts its color guidelines from WSU. The University’s
guidelines are as follows:
PRIMARY PALETTE: Crimson and Gray
The University’s official crimson and gray colors form the foundation
of the WSU color palette. Because of the importance color plays in
building brand awareness in the marketplace, all university
communications should feature crimson and/or gray in a dominant
manner including on the entry page of websites and publication
covers.
Generally, it is recommended that crimson be applied as the dominant
color, although there may be occasions when it is more appropriate to
use gray in this manner.
SECONDARY PALETTE: Orange, Green, Blue, and Yellow
The secondary palette is intended to supplement and coordinate with
the primary palette.
The palette consists of four hues “tuned” in saturation and value to the
official crimson and gray colors and four highly saturated accent
versions of each color. The less-saturated secondary colors may be
lightened to any tint or darkened by adding black. The accent colors
should be used only full strength and not lightened or darkened.
Last updated 8/31/16
4
COLOR, cont'd
Official ASWSU documents and graphics created using the
ASWSU brand must abide by the following guidelines: The
main title/header will be crimson, subtitles will be grey, and
body text will be dark grey. The other colors will be used for
graphics, charts, and the occasional accent when needed.
Crimson
Hex: 981e33
RGB: 152, 30, 51
Grey
Hex: 5E6A71
RGB: 94, 106, 113
Crimson Accent
Hex: c60c30
RGB: 198, 12, 48
Dark Grey
Hex: 2A3034
RGB: 42, 48, 52
Orange Accent
Hex: f6861f
RGB: 211, 130, 53
Orange
Hex: b67233
RGB: 182, 114, 51
Green Accent
Hex: ada400
RGB: 173, 164, 0
Green
Hex: 8f7e35
RGB: 143, 126, 53
Blue Accent
Hex: 00a5bd
RGB: 0, 165, 189
Blue
Hex: 4f868e
RGB: 79, 134, 142
Yellow Accent
Hex: ffb81c
RGB: 255, 184, 28
Yellow
Hex: c69214
RGB: 198, 146, 20
Last updated 8/31/16
5
LOGO
The ASWSU logo is the cornerstone of the brand. The logo
should be present on all official documents and graphics. The
logo files can be found HERE..
There are two versions of the ASWSU logo. The “Official Logo”
will be used on letter head, official staff apparel (polos, vests,
etc.), press releases, website, meeting minutes, legislature, etc.
The “Abbreviated Logo” will be used for social media, casual
apparel, giveaway items, any graphic in which the ASWSU
logo will be relatively small, and, similarly, on graphics where
the ASWSU logo is not the main focus, such as a sponsorship.
Along with each logo, there are two color versions. The white
logo should be used on non-white backgrounds, while the
crimson graphic should be used on white backgrounds.
Crimson Official
Crimson Abbreviated
White Official
White Abbreviated
Last updated 8/31/16
6
LOGO MISUSES AND EXCEPTIONS
The previous logos are the only graphics that will represent
ASWSU. Below are some common mistakes to avoid.
Logo is too small to read subtext.
The colors will not be modified.
The Cougar head will only accompany
“ASWSU” if the subtitle is present.
No old logos will be used at any time.
Last updated 8/31/16
7
LOGO EXCEPTIONS
The following versions of the logo may be used only under the
given circumstances. These versions can be found with the
main logo files.
When printing apparel using stitched lettering, the small text
of the official logo may be illegible. This is an alternative
(note the more saturated red to allow for printing on black).
Last updated 8/31/16
8