Brand Standards Guide 1
Introduction This Standards Guide helps all of us accurately portray Skate Canada s brand in external and internal communications. The aim is to present a strong, uniform message and image to employees of Skate Canada, its clubs and sections, as well as to our partners and the general public. Every element of a communication piece, the writing style, colours used, typefaces, logos and layout should reinforce Skate Canada as a National Sports Organization a national leader in building champions committed to the development of personal excellence through participation in skating. These guidelines will help Skate Canada stakeholders create a strong unified look for Skate Canada, yet allow room for individual creativity. While this manual provides general guidelines, not every graphic application of the Skate Canada brand can be anticipated. If you have a project that requires unspecified graphic treatments, please contact skatecanada@skatecanada.ca. 1
Corporate Logo This section demonstrates the proper use and application of the Skate Canada logo. As our identifying image, it enhances recognition and allows for easy application of the Skate Canada name. The elements of the logo are fixed and should not be altered in any way. The graphic elements (stylized leaf and blade ) in the logo should never be separated from the wordmark (Skate Canada). The logo must always be protected on all sides by a negative or white space equivalent to the height and width of the letter S of the Skate Canada lettering in the wordmark. This safe area must be free of all non-branded graphic or copy elements, and is to be respected under all circumstances. Remember to treat the wordmark and leaf as one image (logo) always use the master files that have been supplied by Skate Canada. For specific applications that don t allow the use of colour, the Skate Canada logo may be reproduced using 100% black. It can also be reproduced in white on other coloured backgrounds. The Skate Canada logo may be reversed out of an image, if there is enough of a contrast. 2
Colours Using colour consistently is essential in strengthening brand awareness. Our primary colour is Skate Canada corporate red and is used in the leaf, while black is used in the Skate Canada wordmark. Primary Colours Process Colours Process colour for print projects Cyan/Magenta/ Yellow/Black Monitor colour for website and electronic use Red/Green/Blue Light Red Pantone: 186 Dark Red: Pantone: 188 C / M / Y / K R / G / B 0/100/81/4 242/0/23 0/97/100/50 128/6/0 The colours shown should be used as main colours in corporate designs. The greyscale logo may be used for highlights or black and white use on other communication materials. Here is an example applying secondary colours on a Skate Canada publication 3
Skate Canada Section or Club Logos The Skate Canada Section or Club logo remains the same with the exception of the added line of text to identify each section or club. The previously stated guidelines also apply to the Skate Canada section and club logos. Using your logo with the Skate Canada logo When using the Skate Canada logo alongside either your section or club logo, or a partner, the Skate Canada logo should appear side-by-side with its counterparts. On occasion, due to design constraints, it could appear above or below, but always on an equal size ratio to the other logos being used. The corporate Skate Canada logo should be used in conjunction with your logo on all section, club or school material. This helps identify your organization with Skate Canada. Merchandising The use of the Skate Canada logo for merchandising is not allowed. If a Section, club or school wishes to include the Skate Canada logo on merchandise it should be ordered from the Skate Canada office. 4
Program Logo Program logos are an extension of the current Skate Canada logo and should be used as such with the same safe zone and colour guidelines as mentioned in this document. The logos are below for reference. The sponsor tag line associated with the CanSkate logo must be used at all time. Typography The fonts selected for the wordmark give the Skate Canada brand a modern look and feel. The typeface for SKATE is Akzidenz Grotesk Extended BQ Medium and Canada appears in Akzidenz Grotesk Extended BQ Light SKATECANADA The body copy font for other text to be used is Calibri 12 Calibri a more modern font that gives a professional appearance and complements the typeface used in the wordmark. It is also a standard font found on most computer systems. Logo Language Whenever possible the English Skate Canada logo should be used on English documents and the French Patinage Canada logo should be used on French documents. The bilingual application of the corporate logo is strictly limited and subject to approval from the Skate Canada office. Writing Style When speaking to diverse audiences, the Skate Canada writing style is friendly, confident, yet direct. The writing style should incorporate plain language, with easy-to-understand terminology. Because of the varied audiences, the writing style should stress clarity over formality. Always take the person(s) who will be receiving the information into consideration and adapt your style to the intended audience. 5
What Not to Do The following graphic examples indicate what not to do when designing Skate Canada materials. Always use the master files that have been supplied. Do not change the colour. Do not rotate the logo. Do not recreate the logo. Do not distort the logo. Skating for fun and beyond Do not incorporate a tagline in the white space. Do not use the wordmark by itself. Do not reverse the logo on a light background. Do not embed the logo in between text. Do not alter the size relationship of the elements. Do not place the logo on a busy background. 6
Applications These are examples of how the logo has been used in a variety of designs for different applications. 7
Frequently asked Questions Q. Can the Sections, clubs or skating schools use the Skate Canada Logo? A. Sections can use the Skate Canada logo together with their Section logo. Skate Canada registered clubs and skating schools can use the Skate Canada logo in conjunction with their logo to indicate they are a member of Skate Canada. Q. Can a Skate Canada member club or skating school put the Skate Canada logo on its website? A. Yes, clubs should advertise that they are a Skate Canada member club by using the Skate Canada logo. Q. Can a Section use the Skate Canada or program logo on team clothing for qualifying competitions such as Sectionals and Challenge events? A. No. Sections may not use the Skate Canada or program logo on team clothing; however, they can use their Skate Canada Section logo. Q. Can a club or skating school use the Skate Canada or program logo on retail merchandise, such as t-shirts? A. No. A club may not use the Skate Canada or program logo on any type of retail merchandise items. However, items branded with the Skate Canada logo may be purchased from the Skate Canada online store. Q. Can a club or skating school use the Skate Canada or program logo on merchandise such as team jackets that are not for sale? A. No. Clubs and skating schools cannot produce team apparel that includes the Skate Canada or program logo. If your club or skating school team is representing Canada at an international competition, please contact Skate Canada at skatecanada@skatecanada.ca. Q. Can a club or skating school use the Skate Canada logo on promotional materials designed to attract sponsors? A. Yes. A club or skating school may use the Skate Canada logo in conjunction with their club or section logo on their advertising and promotional material. Q. Can a club or skating school use the Skate Canada logo on club competition related publications, advertising brochures, posters etc? A. Yes. Clubs or skating schools may use the Skate Canada logo on their club competition materials as long as it is used in conjunction with the section or club logo. Q. Can a coach use the Skate Canada logo on a business card? A. Yes. If the coach is a member in good standing, he or she may use the Skate Canada logo on their business card. A sample of the card must be e-mailed to Skate Canada at skatecanada@ skatecanada.ca for approval before it is printed. Q. Can a club use the Skate Canada logo on its letterhead? A. Yes. Clubs or skating schools may use the Skate Canada logo on their letterhead as long as it is used in conjunction with the section or club logo. 8
Contact Information Before considering a project that involves the Skate Canada logo, or if you are considering one that diverges significantly from the examples and established guidelines, please contact: SKATE CANADA skatecanada@skatecanada.ca 613.747.1007 ext.2519 1.888.747.2372 ext. 2519 www.skatecanada.ca 9