The ideas in this brandbook belong to everyone. We hope they inspire you. All legally protectable intellectual property contained herein—including, but not limited to, all written language, logos, icons, illustrations, and other original creations—belong to mdash LLC. Banner Day® and For brands worth celebrating™ are either registered trademarks or trademarks of mdash LLC. Any other product names used herein are for identification purposes only and might be trademarks of their respective companies. We disclaim any and all rights to those marks. © 2021-2022 MDASH LLC DBA BANNER DAY® ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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Contents
Contents 04 Name 06 Logo System
10 Tagline
12
Brand Definition
16
18
Colors
22 Typography
Personality
24 Graphics 03
04
Our Name
What’s in a name? In our case, the heart, spirit, and enduring promise of our brand. In text, Banner Day® is always written as two words in Title Case and never separated by the indignity of a line break. Include the registered trademark symbol as a superscript upon first mention in a block of text. (As above.) Also include it in public-facing logos and headline/title applications where it’s appropriate to note our trademark status, but doesn’t diminish the integrity of the overall design.
Banner Day's logo is two elements working together as one. LOGO
ICON
WORDMARK
Our logo's icon is a pictorial symbol that says a lot about who we are in a few memorable, instantly meaningful shapes. It's at once a banner
Our Logo
with its tail unfurling behind and a rectangular speech bubble with a
06
contrasting point below. A custom sunburst-asterisk likewise speaks to both our words-first approach to branding and the optimistic, resilient, and celebratory spirit of brand-new, banner days ahead. Our logo's wordmark is a custom-made typesetting of our brand name—with a few surprises. The serif style is boldly modern, lending a contemporary aesthetic while respecting our literary roots. The "B" and "D" letterforms feature carved notches that echo the forked tail of our icon. There's even a hidden flag waving in the descender of our "y." Together, our icon and wordmark combine to form a complete logo. Apart, they flexibly relay our Banner Day brand as standalone or paired marks. (See pages 8-9 for guidelines.)
Our Logo
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STAC K E D LO G O This is a secondary logo designed to fit larger and especially taller spaces. Always center and stack the icon on top of the wordmark with padding equal to the cap height of the B and D.
X
C L E A R S PAC E Give our logo room to stay legible, recognizable, and consistent
SECONDARY LOGO (STACKED)
at any size. The correct clear space—that's padding free of any text, graphics, or edges—is the full height of the icon on all four sides of the lockup. MINIMUM SIZING
M I N I MUM S I Z I N G And when we say "any size," we mean no smaller than what is legible and recognizable for most
7/8” (or 64px) wide
eyes on a mobile screen. The minimum size for our full logo is 64px (or 7/8" in print). To go even smaller, use either the wordmark or the icon mark alone.
5/8” (or 45px) wide CLEAR SPACE
1/4” (or 16px) wide
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Our Logo
I CO N CO N TA I N E R S
X
When using our icon as a standalone brand mark in a container shape—such as for profile photos on social media— size the icon to one-half (50%) of the width of the container and center it both horizontally and vertically. O N E- CO LO R V E R S I O N 1 /2X
If—and only if—the required printing or manufacturing process doesn't allow for twocolor rendering, use this singlecolor version of the icon with the tail element outlined.
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For brands worth celebrating™
Our Tagline
Our brand tagline distills the essence and substance of who we serve, what we do, and why into four powerful words. Please use it responsibly.
10
When sharing or referring to our tagline as a branded asset, “For brands worth celebrating™” is best set in Sentence case and accompanied by the trademark symbol. (As in the previous sentence.) Quotes or italics are optional, but highly useful. The words in our tagline can also be used to inspire and anchor other messages. There are infinite ways to define, create, and build brands worth celebrating, and none of those ways require us to follow tagline-specific formatting rules.
Our Tagline
X X
X X
LO G O + TAGL INE LOCKUP
LOGO + TAGLINE LOCKU P (STACKED)
When using our tagline alongside our full logo or solo
Set the tagline in either the color of the icon or the color of
wordmark, set the tagline in TT Wellingtons, Regular
the wordmark.
weight, at a point size equal to the width of the chosen mark.
In a footer or sign-off treatment (outside of a logo lockup), you can choose the Bold TT Wellingtons font to help our
Padding between the tagline and chosen mark should
tagline stand out in more subtle surroundings. You can
be approximately equal to the padding between the
also put it in more exciting, but always respectful, places...
icon and the wordmark.
On an airplane banner, for instance.
Our Definition 12
If you were to look us up in The Dictionary of Great Brands, this is what you’d read beneath our name. Our brand definition tells you what we are (our nouns, grammatically speaking), what we do (verbs), for whom (audience), and how (hints of brand personality and our unique approach). The straight-from-the-dictionary version is best for written, top-level brand applications like our website landing page or company social profiles. Adapt as needed with this rule in mind: Change the delivery, not the meaning.
Y –
Our Definition
Banner Day is the words-first branding company created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs. We translate businesses into brands worth celebrating.
Y
Not a typo. 13
"Words-first" Our branding philosophy We believe in the original, universal
Our Definition
power of words to shape and share
14
"Branding company" Our noun What we are, pure and simple.
meaning. That's why we always start with finding just the right ones to capture a brand and captivate its audiences. We write the book on a brand. Then—and only then—we illustrate it.
"Create, Translate" Our verbs The essential actions at the heart of what we do.
Our Definition
"By entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs." "Brands worth celebrating" Our highest-value proposition The reason our clients choose us. At
Reserved for you. Dedicated,
this—its highest—level, it's a summary
focused project time and resources—
of how and why we do what we do
and no overbooking—mean you
better than the rest. Specific enough
always get our full attention and
to set us apart, it's also versatile
finest work.
enough to flex and grow with us. "By entrepreneurs, for entrepreneurs"
All-in-one. We’ve partnered with
means four fundamental things
like-minded entrepreneurs to deliver
for every client (the proof behind
creative branding plus trademarking
the proposition). Namely, that our
services in one seamless,
offerings are always:
streamlined project flow.
Our promise What we ultimately deliver for every client, no matter what. This is where our highest brand purpose and power (what we supply) meets our audiences' deepest needs and wants (their demands).
"Not a typo"
Made for you. Our essential branding
Fun. Less stress, more confetti. We
Our personality in action
and naming services are designed,
make branding the best part of your
A clever (but not too clever) twist on
packaged, and priced exclusively for
workday—and month, and year…
the more expected claim of "world's
smaller businesses ready to grow.
first" showcases our way with words. And our deep appreciation for the asterisk (see pg. 26).
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Our Personality It says a lot about us. Our personality tells you how Banner Day shows up and stands out, how we want people to feel when they hear our name or see our flag flying, and how we ultimately want to be perceived and remembered as a brand.
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Our Personality
Banner Day is...
Uplifting Clever
Not sensational or sentimental. So our audiences feel energized and empowered.
Not cryptic or cheesy. So our audiences feel smart.
Charming Gutsy
Not cute or coy. So our audiences feel intrigued.
Not scrappy or brash. So our audiences feel championed.
Polished
Not fussy or embellished. So our audiences feel confident.
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Our Colors Gold is our standard. Radiating worthiness, sunshine, celebration, and creative energy, this warm, deep, and polished ochre is the signature shade of Banner Day. Primary Theme
we have a full rainbow at our disposal.
The Gold Theme—balanced with Black,
Our Secondary Themes—so paired for
White, and Gray—is the primary color
maximum balance and interest—give us
scheme for the brand system. Gold shines
broad, branded flexibility across design
in our central brand marks and elements
applications. As a rule, use secondary
(our icon, wordmark, asterisk, etc.) as well
colors within their intended themes
as in background fills and as the signature
(Navy + Peach, Forest + Aqua, Bordeaux
shade for swag and branded products. It
+ Lilac), and don't mix dark-with-dark or
also works as a text color for headlines in
bright-with-bright shades.
font weights greater than Regular weight. If it suits (and only on occasion), there Secondary Themes
are two additional, approved "hidden
As a brand made to shine a light on others,
menu" tone-on-tone combinations in
spark bold, bright thinking, and embrace
the Forest + Aqua vein: Navy + Lilac and
the beauty in diversity and contrast,
Bordeaux + Peach.
But never metallic or foiled, please.
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– – Y –R –A – N
– –
Black R:0 G:0 B:0 C:0 M:0 Y:0 K:100 HEX: #000000
White R:255 G:255 B:255 C:0 M:0 Y:0 K:0 HEX: #FFFFFF
Gray 1 Gold
HEX: #F4F5F7
R:231 G:156 B:57 C:8 M:43 Y:90 K:0
Gray 2
HEX: #E79C39
A
HEX: #EBECF0
Navy
Forest
Bordeaux
R:24 G:29 B:67
R:4 G:31 B:28
R:73 G:18 B:26
C:99 M:92 Y:42 K:47
C:83 M:60 Y:68 K:76
C:44 M:87 Y:70 K:67
HEX: #181D43
HEX: #041F1C
HEX: #49121A
Peach
Aqua
Lilac
R:230 G:123 B:92
R:61 G:185 B:170
R:148 G:122 B:212
C:6 M:64 Y:66 K:0
C:70 M:2 Y:41 K:0
C:47 M:56 Y:0 K:0
HEX: #E67B5C
HEX: #3DB9AA
HEX: #947AD4
P R I M A RY T H E M E •
When in doubt, choose the Gold Standard for any Banner Day design
•
On Gold backgrounds: Use the White icon with the Black wordmark; Use White for headlines, Black for subheads and text, and White with Black text for graphics
•
On White backgrounds: Use the Gold icon with the Black wordmark; Use Gold or Black for headlines and subheads, Black for text, and Gold with Black text for graphics
•
On Black backgrounds: Use
Headlines Subheadlines Text
C A LL TO AC TIO N
the Gold icon with the White wordmark; Use Gold or White for headlines and subheads, White for text, and White with Black text for graphics •
Headlines Headlines
In general, avoid Black
Subheadlines Subheadlines
graphics and holding shapes
Text
C A LL TO AC TIO N
for text (they're just a tad too serious)
Headlines Headlines Subheadlines Subheadlines Text 20
C A LL TO AC TIO N
Our Colors
S ECO N DA RY T H E M E S •
Our secondary color themes are Navy + Peach, Bordeaux + Lilac, and Forest + Aqua; The latter, being a more toneon-tone pairing, is the most serene of the three
•
These colors, in vibrant combination, bring extra versatility, contrast, and life to our designs
•
Headlines Headlines Subheadlines Subheadlines Text
When creating client- or partner-facing designs, consider using the Banner Day colors that best match or pair
C A LL TO AC TIO N
with the other brands' •
Generally, use the darker colors in each theme as the backgrounds and the brighter colors as the accents, and
Headlines Headlines Subheadlines Subheadlines Text
avoid using brighter colors on larger background fills C A LL TO AC TIO N
•
On dark backgrounds (Navy, Forest, Bordeaux): Use White text and elements in combination with bright accent colors (Peach, Aqua or
Headlines Headlines Subheadlines Subheadlines Text
Lilac, accordingly) •
Never use: Forest + Peach, Navy + Aqua, Bordeaux +
C A LL TO AC TIO N
Aqua, Forest + Lilac 21
Our Typography Just our type: TT Wellingtons and Domaine
TT Wellingtons (or Welly, for short) is a neat, modern sans-serif with a dash of charm. It gives precisely the right amount of weight and legibility to focal points while retaining its characteristic sense of easygoing flair and inviting personality. Use it to get the audience's attention, convey top-priority information quickly, and drive them to action.
The Watson to Wellingtons' Sherlock,
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Q –Z
Domaine's classic, literary serif is familiar without being too formal. Its larger x-height keeps it easy to read— even when things get wordy—which makes it ideal for longer-form text, paragraphs, and block quotes. Our letter confetti
Use it to dive deeper, share and
graphics are always
request detailed information, or point
set in Domaine Display
the audience toward further context.
Narrow Bold As a rule, reduce the font size and use italics in footnotes and disclaimers
Our Typography
H E A D L I N E S , S U B H E A D L I N E S , C A L L S T O A C T I O N , M E TA T E X T
TT Wellingtons Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj Kk Ll Mm Nn Oo Pp Qq Rr Ss Tt Uu Vv Ww Xx Yy Zz 0123456789
PA R A G R A P H T E X T, Q U O T E S , F O R M F I E L D S , F O O T N O T E S
Domaine Text Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj Kk Ll Mm Nn Oo Pp Qq Rr Ss Tt Uu Vv Ww Xx Yy Zz 0123456789
TT Wellingtons is available from MyFonts at
Domaine Text is available from Klim Type Foundry at
myfonts.com/fonts/type-type/tt-wellingtons/
klim.co.nz/retail-fonts/domaine-text/
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Our Graphics
A little something(s) extra
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Language-inspired, symbolically rich, and unapologetically delightful, these visual expressions add personality, versatility, and intrigue to our branded creations. There are three unique, but related, systems in our brand graphics collection: Our letter confetti pattern, our sunburst-asterisk, and our wordscape illustrations.
B
We like to think of them as marginalia—as doodles or scribbles in the corners of a manuscript or along the dog-eared pages of a favorite book. They illuminate the text, adding beauty and meaning to the experience, but they're never the focus of the work. Each graphic has its own system and rules, and all are best employed with equal parts creativity and restraint. They shouldn't be made to compete for attention and will almost never appear all together in a single frame.
E
B –N – EQ
Our Graphics
L E T T E R CO N F E T T I •
A pattern of capital letters and em dashes, set in Domaine Display Narrow Bold, that can be static or (gently) animated
•
This typographic style can also translate into big, bold, unexpected headline treatments for short, powerful words (See this brandbook cover, for example)
•
Rotate letters and em dashes slightly, within a few degrees of one another—no sharply turned, upside down, or backward characters, thank you
•
Set the letters in Black, White, or the darker color within the chosen color theme and the em dashes in the contrasting accent color
•
Scale is important: Letters should be large enough to contrast clearly with other layout text, but small enough to allow the audience to identify and discern each individual letter
•
Create an organic, but still orderly, pattern by overlapping a letter or two slightly, tucking the em dashes atop and behind letter forms, and allowing a few letters and dashes to stray outside the edge of the frame or page
•
Letters should be random (a true alphabet soup) or, at least, random-ish, as if a relevant word or phrase has been jumbled up; Fight the temptation to spell or imply irrelevant or distracting words in your confetti
•
Go for a handful, not an eyeful—a few letters goes a long way
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O U R S U N B U R ST •
Lifted from the center of our icon, the sunburst becomes a versatile device that helps to organize information across applications
•
The sunburst replaces the default (typeface) versions as our custom asterisk in all cases; match both color and scale to the accompanying type
•
At sizes smaller than 9pt, use the default asterisk in the given font
•
A very nice message, indeed.
The sunburst can also be enlarged and adapted to act as a graphic gauge or chart, with its rays appearing/disappearing and/or changing color to
The word “nice” is, of course, completely subjective and open to interpretation. So, feel free to imagine the above as merely a “polite,” “pleasing,” or “pretty” little message, or as something “totally dope.”
create the desired effect
FE
C V
M M O N T H LY G R OW T H
O CT
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JUL
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Traffic Spike
AY
JU
26
AR
APR
P G
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B
JAN
DE NO
Month-over-month percentage increase of active users
Our Graphics
WO R D S C A P E S •
Wordscapes feature two distinct elements interacting to create a small, narrative moment or scene: An organic arrangement of text (forming the background or environment), and a single, handdrawn illustration (acting as the subject or focus)
•
The text can serve as a more static backdrop, but is most successful when it implies movement
•
All text should be either drawn from works in the public domain that thematically align (i.e. here the waves are made of text from "Ancient and Modern Ships, Part 1"), or from language created by and belonging to Banner Day
•
The result needn't be legible, as the goal is to use the text as an artistic medium
•
Hand-drawn illustrations (one per scape) can represent either modern or bygone symbols, but never real people or human figures
•
The illustration style should imply an ink-drawn pen-sketch—not too perfect, no brush/pencil-like strokes or obvious digital line work
•
Wordscapes shouldn't be arbitrarily chosen or added, but should bring deeper meaning and dimension to the message at hand
The Banner Day Brandbook was written by Molly Dickinson and designed by Russell Shaw. Legal trademarking services provided by Vivid IP. Please direct all inquiries, compliments, and/or corrections to: hello@bannerday.co © 2021-2022 MDASH LLC DBA BANNER DAY® ALL RIGHTS RESERVED