OFFICIAL ATHLETICS STYLE GUIDE 1
BRAND MISSION The Western Michigan University Athletic Department is committed to the growth and evolution of our brand. We recognize that in order to expand the footprint of the University and our programs, we must continue to grow awareness and affinity for Bronco Athletics by staying modern, consistent, and by appealing to the next generation of Broncos. We are also extremely proud of the heritage and history of the University itself as a cornerstone of the community of Kalamazoo. Our brand reflects these two initiatives by incorporating the traditional marks of the University with the current trends and modern design characteristics of sport, which ultimately strengthens our connections between Athletics and Academics. 2
CONTENTS Brand Mission 2 Color Hierarchy 5 Logo Elements 7 Primary Logo 8 Primary Logo With Wordmark 9 Secondary Logo 10 Tertiary Logos 11 Wordmarks 12 Football Marks (Ghost Bronco) 13 Football Marks (Row The Boat) 14 Sports Specific Marks 15 Sports Specific Wordmarks 16 Logo Proportions 17 Incorrect Logo Usage 18 Discontinued Marks 19 University Seal 20 Typography 22 Approved Verbiage 23 3
COLOR HIERARCHY OFFICIAL WESTERN MICHIGAN ATHLETIC STYLE GUIDE 4
COLOR HIERARCHY PMS 4515c CMYK 30.26/31.2/68.93/1.79 RGB 181/162/104 THREAD Madeira - 1939 Robison - 2568 WEB HEX #b5a167 Metallic Gold Pantone 871c Silver Pantone 877c As a continuation of the 1998 Western Michigan Athletics Brand overhaul, the colors of black, gold, brown, gray, and white provide a vibrant, strong, and modern look that also recognizes the history and tradition of the University. Onward for the Brown & Gold will forever fuel our fight song, while the inclusion of black, gray, and white allows WMU Athletics to represent current trends in design and apparel, and appeals to future Broncos worldwide. Gold is the primary color, accentuated by black. Brown, gray, and white should be used as accent colors, with brown being the primary accent color. PMS BLACK CMYK 0/0/0/100 RGB 0/0/0 WEB HEX #231f20 PMS 469c CMYK 39.05/69.9/88.89/42.55 RGB 108/64/35 THREAD Madeira - 1758 Robison - 2477 WEB HEX #6c4023 PMS Cool Gray 6c CMYK 0/0/0/40 RGB 169/168/169 THREAD Madeira - 1011 Robison -5783 WEB HEX #aaa8aa PMS No Ink CMYK 0/0/0/0 RGB 255/255/255 WEB HEX FFFFFF 5
LOGOS & MARKS OFFICIAL WESTERN MICHIGAN ATHLETIC STYLE GUIDE 6
LOGO ELEMENTS THE BLOCK W Honoring the storied tradition of the University, the new Block W mark is a modern representation of the bold and strong foundation of Western Michigan University. The mark itself can stand alone as our secondary logo, and can also be used with the official wordmarks. THE BRONCO As part of Western Michigan University Athletics complete branding overhaul in 1998, the Bronco mark continues to be one of the most vibrant and iconic modern logos in Collegiate athletics. Even today it still reflects the current trends in sports branding, and remains the consistent center-point of WMU Athletics. The mark itself can stand alone as our tertiary logo, and can also be used with the official wordmarks. THE WORDMARK The updated wordmarks are a modern and bold way to connect the University and the teams that make up WMU Athletics. The wordmarks can be used in combination with any of the 3 logo marks, and also make up the sport specific marks. See pages 15 & 16 for other examples of wordmark usage. 7
PRIMARY LOGO The Primary Logo is made up of the Block W and the Bronco, with no wordmarks used along with it. The mark is modern, powerful, and immediately recognizable. The inclusion of the modernized Block W in the new Primary Logo was extremely important, as it signifies the strong connection between Western Michigan University academics and athletics. The Primary Logo should always face left and should not be altered in any way. See page 18 for more examples of background control and incorrect usage. 8
PRIMARY LOGO WITH WORDMARK The Western Michigan Athletics Primary Logo (as well as the secondary and tertiary logos) can be used with any of the approved wordmarks. The Primary Logo with Wordmark works best in largescale textile and digital spaces with respect to wordmark legibility. See page 18 for more examples of background control and incorrect usage. 9
SECONDARY LOGO Honoring the storied tradition of the University, the new Block W mark is a modern representation of the bold and strong foundation of Western Michigan University. The mark itself can stand alone as our secondary logo, or can also be used with the official wordmarks. See page 18 for more examples of background control and incorrect usage. 10
TERTIARY LOGO As part of Western Michigan University Athletics complete branding overhaul in 1998, the Bronco mark continues to be one of the most vibrant and iconic modern logos in Collegiate athletics. Even today it still reflects the current trends in sports branding, and remains the consistent center-point of WMU Athletics. The mark itself can stand alone as our tertiary logo, and can also be used with the official wordmark. See page 18 for more examples of background control and incorrect usage. 11
WORDMARKS The updated wordmarks are a modern and bold way to connect the University and the teams that make up WMU Athletics. The wordmarks can be used in combination with any of the 3 logos, and also make up the sport specific marks. All marks use the primary font, City D Bold with the kerning set to 20. The word UNIVERSITY uses the secondary font, Klavika Bold with the kerning set to 250. 12
FOOTBALL MARKS GHOST BRONCO When PJ Fleck was announced as the 15th Head Coach of Western Michigan Football in 2012 he recognized the need for a full culture change within the football program. As part of that overhaul, a modernized and updated look for WMU Football was established to help visually represent that culture change. The Ghost Bronco logo was born from this vision and it is a leaner version of the new Tertiary Logo. The Ghost Bronco acts as the primary mark for WMU Football. * Football logos and typography are only used in conjunction with football related items. ON FRONT PLATE ON BACK PLATE 13
FOOTBALL MARKS ROW THE BOAT As the current mantra of WMU Football, Row The Boat is representative of everyone working together and striving for one common goal collectively, and that is success. * Football logos and typography are only used in conjunction with football related items. 14
SPORTS SPECIFIC MARKS 15
SPORTS SPECIFIC WORDMARKS Each sports specific wordmark can be used with all three logos and can also be used in any approved WMU Athletics colors. 16
LOGO PROPORTIONS It is important to maintain Western Michigan s logo legibility through the use of clear space. To ensure the visibility and impact of the logo, it is essential to adhere to the regulations in this guide. No type, graphic elements, or patterns should be used in the clear space. The mandatory clear space of each is equal to an element of the graphic. X = Distance from the bottom of the W to the top of wordmark. 1/2 x 1/2 x 1/2 x 1/2 x 1/2 x 1/2 x X = Distance from the bottom of the Bronco to the top of wordmark. 17
INCORRECT LOGO USAGE At no time should the height or width of the logo be adjusted. At no time should the logo be skewed or tilted. At no time should the bronco face the right. At no time should the text be shown on top of the logos. At no time should the logo s colors be reversed. At no time should the logo s colors be changed. At no time should the WMU be used with the primary or secondary logos. At no time should these logos be cropped. At no time should the word WESTERN be used by iself. At no time should the fonts be switched. THESE USAGE RULES APPLY TO ALL MARKS INCLUDING: PRIMARY, SECONDARY, TERTIARY, WORDMARKS AS WELL AS ALL FOOTBALL MARKS. 18
DISCONTINUED MARKS The evolution of the branding of Western Michigan University Athletics is an important part of our history, however different graphic and color variations of the logos may exist, as brand consistency was not as controlled in former years. As part of an effort to align athletics with the University and to establish strength in our brand through consistency, these marks are to not be used anywhere moving forward. 19
UNIVERSITY SEAL PLEASE NOTE: The University Signature and University Seal may sometimes be used in conjunction with Western Michigan University Athletics associated content, and can appear in Western Michigan Brown, Western Michigan Metallic Gold, or Western Michigan Black. 20
TYPOGRAPHY OFFICIAL WESTERN MICHIGAN ATHLETIC STYLE GUIDE 21
TYPOGRAPHY STANDARD TYPOGRAPHY PRIMARY FONT - CITY D BOLD ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 1234567890 SECONDARY FONT - KLAVIKA BOLD ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 1234567890 BODY COPY FONT - GOTHAM BOOK ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 1234567890 FOOTBALL TYPOGRAPHY PRIMARY FONT - AMERICAN CAPTAIN ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890 SECONDARY FONT - MOONSHINER (SHARP) ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890 BODY COPY FONT - GOTHAM BOOK ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 1234567890 22
APPROVED VERBIAGE The University nickname is Broncos, which is heavily referenced in Athletics. When referring to a group without a sport program attached, the correct general term to use is plural. When referencing a specific sport program, Broncos becomes singular when the sport program follows the nickname i.e. Bronco Baseball. Both Men s and Women s programs should be referenced as Bronco(s), and never Lady Bronco(s). School colors (Brown & Gold) can also serve as a nickname, but should be used sparingly. Western Michigan University Western Michigan Broncos Western Michigan University Broncos WMU Broncos Western Michigan WMU Bronco Baseball Bronco Basketball Bronco Cross Country Bronco Football Bronco Golf Bronco Gymnastics Bronco Hockey Bronco Soccer Bronco Softball Bronco Tennis Bronco Track & Field Bronco Volleyball 23
OFFICIAL WESTERN MICHIGAN ATHLETIC STYLE GUIDE 24