Varg brand guidelines. 2022 v1.0. Concept, Art Direction, Copy and Visual Guidelines: Compañeros AB Reproduction of this document or parts thereof is not permitted under international Copyright law. First year of publication 2022. All rights reserved. © 2022 Vargkläder AB.
Come aboard for a brand journey Look at this brandbook as a set of tools in the daily work of living our brand. It will help us stick to our plan and define what lies ahead. Feel free to call it a vision or a strategy, although we prefer to call it a journey with set goals. Goals we can only achieve together, as a team. This book is for you, who are part of the team and our community. Together we can make this brand flourish. With that said, let’s head into the wild.
Brand guidelines Introduction
3
Brand knowledge
4
Foundation
5
Vision, purpose & values
6-7
Personality
8
Role
9
Rational & emotional benefits
10-12
Visual guidelines Logotypes & Visuals
14
Colors
15
Typography
16-17
Tonality
18
Examples
19-20
Brand promise & conclusion
21-23 3.
4. Brand knowledge
On the wild side of life A guide to understanding the dynamics of Varg. Our foundation, structure and goals.
Who we are Our brand identity is the foundation for our existence. It’s not our logo, nor something you can touch or put in the bank. It’s far bigger than that. Our identity is shaped by how the world look at us, what we stand for and the unique benefits we provide. The essence of the Varg brand is about individual freedom, integrity and endurance. Simplicity and functionality, mixed with a robust, untamed feeling that seems to emerge every time we wish to describe who we are.
Being recognized There is one particular denominator that ties everything together, namely our passion for design and our never-ending curiosity about what can be shaped into a Varg garment. You will always find a special feature that gives the clothes their distinctive look and personal touch, inspired by our cultural heritage.
Varg was born on the wild west coast of Sweden, out of a true Nordic origin. The inspiration comes from the rugged coastal landscape, the forests and the mountains, crossing over to an urban lifestyle. The simplicity is consistent, laced with clever solutions and subtle details, each of which represents the uniqueness of a Varg garment.
5. Foundation
The place we call home It’s in the outdoors where we belong and where you’ll find our true heart and soul.
The things that drives us
A sudden realization
Our mission is simple and straightforward: We make clothes that are stylish, functional and comfortable with a personal tone, always with he highest quality in mind. This make the foundation of our brand identity and the backbone of our DNA.
So, what in the world attracted us to one of the toughest and most competitive markets there is? The reason was, and still is, a clean-cut insight of the need for a different outdoor brand. A brand that did not take itself too seriously, but still had a crystal clear purpose. To make people feel comfortable outdoors, in stylish, well-fitting clothes that really work in a wide variety of situations and weather conditions.
On the horizon The vision, on the other hand, is to make our brand thrive across nations, making our community into a home for nature-loving, free individuals that share our dreams and values. And if we can encourage even more like minded souls to go wild from time to time, we’ve come a long way.
6. Vision, purpose & values
Getting the full picture Our brand’s image is about individual freedom, integrity and perseverance. We are proud to be part of a movement where more and more people discover the beauty and mystery of nature. At the same time, we as a company will always try to go our own way, unafraid to swim in the opposite direction of the clothing industry mainstream.
Our core values in short:
Simplicity, innovation, function, uniqueness, individuality, mystery and unity.
7. Vision, purpose & values
With nature by our side Nature with all it’s changes and challenges, is our source of inspiration, our breathing space. As designers and manufacturers of outdoor-wear we need to work with the elements, bringing them into the creative process.
“I love Varg because it resonates with me. It’s more than just a garment in the closet. It’s become a part of me. That’s why I don’t hang it in the closet. I wear it.” Johanna Vonasek Haraldsson, din personliga researrangör What shapes our personality On the wild side of life captures our mindset well. However, you could just as easily swap the word life for nature. This sentence also tells us why Varg may appear more related to surf- and streetwear than your typical sport brand. We work with nature every day and we live for the outdoors. It’s a passion strong enough to both hug trees and fully embrace life. Varg’s personality radiates a strong sense of companionship, familiarity and respect for our surroundings. Coming from the Northern part of the world, we know that the outdoors is not only about clear blue skies and birdsong.
8. Personality
Even so, with the right outfit we can enjoy bone-chilling winds, dark clouds, ice and snow, rain and slush ... well, forget the slush, one has to draw the line somewhere.
The world that defines us We have to be changeable, innovative and quick to pick up new trends and translate them in to our world. Exploring new ways and going that extra mile for a small detail, an alternative fabric, or a specific design that we’ve worked on for months. In the end, it all comes together in the mix that shapes our personality and the uniqueness of the brand.
Wild at heart, free in the soul “Throughout my career as an elite sailor and alpine skier, I ‘ve spent countless hours between races, outdoors, often in quite hostile conditions. That’s when I came to realize how much the clothes affect both our well-being and our ability to perform. As I couldn’t really find what I was looking for, the idea of making my own line began to take shape. And that’s how Varg came to be. ” Madeleine Magnusson, Founder of Varg
9. Role
Taking care of business, and our planet Let’s face the facts: Our planet has seen better days. As a manufacturer of textile we have a great responsibility to put it back in shape. In fact, we all do.
Before we decide to go ahead with a new design, there is always one last question that needs to be answered: Is it really necessary? It’s a relevant question, since we know that each piece of textile consumes its fair share of natural resources. Therefore we only make garments that deserve a place in your wardrobe and on your body. It’s our philospy as well as our way to maintain a responsible business. Varg uses recycled materials, environmentally certified cotton, wool and down to minimize our impact on nature. This goes hand in hand with our intention of one day become fullly circular.
10. Brand promise
Capture the natural beauty There’s a deeper attraction in exploring the outdoor life, feeling confident, comfortable and lighthearted. You will experience joy, mystery and beauty in this way of life. With Varg, we’ve come to worship an individual mix between outdoor, surf culture, streetwear, sports- and functional wear. Maybe that’s why the team is always looking out for clothes we love to wear ourselves. Varg is a freedom-loving brand. We stand for authenticity, individuality and a sustainable lifestyle. Along the same lines we value cultural differences, diversity, open views and open minds.
“Carefree but conscious, with a bit of a rough edge. That’s Varg for me, and something I think many regardless of age and social status can relate to. -Madeleine Magnusson, Founder of Varg
11. Brand promise
Pure desire speaks from the heart Varg stands for modern outdoor- and leisure wear, made according to genuine Swedish craftmanship, high quality and endurance. Rationally speaking We mix sport and function in our everyday clothes because we have it in our blood. However, most importantly, we want to create awesome garments for an active lifestyle. Clothes that you’ll love to use, both outdoors and indoors. We always prefer materials that are beautiful on the one hand, functional, sustainable and comfortable on the other.
Emotionally thinking It’s true that the spirit of our brand is more about attitude than performance. However, we like to think our performance stands up quite well for itself. When holding a Varg garment in your hand, it should make you feel it’s something truly unique, made with love and respect for our trade and our customers.
12. Benefits
Varg makes a point of not following the standard formula of an outdoor brand. We have come to worship an individual mix between outdoor, surf culture, streetwear, sports and functional wear. Maybe that’s why the team is always looking out for clothes we love to wear ourselves. So, what’s our edge? If you love the magic of nature as well as the bustle of everyday life, you’ll probably grasp the Varg concept. That’s the way we are, and many with us. Naturally, if you’re an extreme athlete you will also benefit from Varg. Perhaps, but less likely, during the final climb up on K2, but most definitely by the campfire afterwards.
Visual guidelines Just as your personality makes you unique, our brand identity is the special ingredient that sets us apart from other companies and competitors. The word brand originates from the tradition of branding cattle. Once the brand identity is established, it should remain steadfast. However, as we all know, rules are made to be bent. As our business expands and the company grows, we may modify parts of our visual identity as needed, depending on trends and competition. For this reason our Brand Book will stay open, alive and may evolve with time as our journey proceeds.
15. Visual guidelines
Varg logo & emblem Recommended size
Our logo and symbol are the first and most important part of our visual identity and should therefore be used with great care and fair judgement.
To achieve consistency in our materials, recommended logo and emblem sizes have been established for standard documents. In the table on the left, we show the recommended logo sizes for the most common formats.
Our logo consists of Varg’s word logo. It is set in Din 1451 Mittelschrift, with a clear and uncomplicated design, for general use in signs and display adaptations.
The wolf head emblem Our emblem is undoubtly the most prominent part of the visual expression. It’s unique in its design, and is happy to stand alone, with or without the logo. The clear space around the emblem is established by measuring the height between the jaw and the top of the head. The width equals the height. The margin height should equal the height (h) previously established and the margin width (w) should equal the height (h). For minimum sizes, refer to the table on the left. All material where Varg’s logo is displayed must first be approved by the company before publication.
Note that the optical horizontal centre of the logo is the stem of the “R”, denoted here as X.
Restricted and safe The clear space has been to ensure logo visibility and impact. Maintaining the safe zone between the logo and other graphic elements ensures that the logo always appears unobstructed. It is not a rule that the wolf emblema must be present together with our word logo, they can be used separately. However, the word logo must always be included in every product context.
Minimum size The Minimum size has been established to ensure our logo is reproduced correctly in smaller sizes. At Minimum size, the logo is still clearly legible and provides a strong level of identification. When using a lower-quality printing technique (i.e. screen-printing), it is recommended that the logo is used in a larger size.
16. Logotype & symbol
Format
Logo width & height
Emblem width & height
A6
5 mm
5 mm
A5
6 mm
6 mm
A4
8 mm
8 mm
A3
14 mm
14 mm
Colors Checklist. Below is a short check list with do's and dont's, applicable for the logo and emblem.
Only use the logotypes provided. Use the negative (white) logotypes on patterned, black and dark colored backgrounds. Use the positive (colored) logotypes on white and bright colored backgrounds. Place the logo on backgrounds with sufficient contrast for maximum readability.
Our Corporate colors are a distinct and crucial part of our identity as they make our brand instantly recognizable. When applied consistently, our brand colors also provide a strong visual link across various material.
Primary color
Secondary color
With inspiration from the nordic granite, our primary color is a deep grey color. It can be use for texts, graphics and as a backgound color, in full tint or dimmed. Be sure to maintain a good enough contrast for legibilty between text and background.
As an allround color, we use a turquoise blue that reminds us of ice and sea, our other natural habitacle. This color can be use as a substite for the primary color for background, but also for annotation and such. It is a little bit of a midlle ground between our primary and accent color.
100%
Pantone #
BLACK 7
RGB #
50%
25%
10%
CMYK
3E3C38
100%
Pantone #
0 0 0 90
315
75%
RGB #
00657E
50%
25%
10%
CMYK
100 46 38 13
Accent color The accent color is mainly use for our logotype and emblem, but it can also be use for quotes and annotations where text and graphics needs some extra attention. Be sure to dose it with care, though. The accent color should never be used as background color.
Do not alter the proportional shapes of the logotypes or emblem. Place logotype as far away from other graphic elements as possible.
75%
100%
Pantone #
158
RGB #
F3702B
75%
50%
25%
10%
CMYK
0 70 94 0
17. Colors
Typography A fundamental part of our visual style that help achieve a unique and consistent look across our printed and digital material.
These typefaces shall be used on all printed materials and communications, and if possible, also on websites and online communication. Always try to respect the hierarchy of fonts. From largest to smallest, the content types should be read in a naturally progressive order.
Title/Heading font The title (or heading) is the first thing that the viewer will notice and has to stand out. This can be done by making sure it is dominant in size, and by using a strong and eye-catching font. To emphasize the nature of company, we use a type called Spartan. Spartan is a geometric sans-serif typeface. Testing by Bausch and Lomb, after the creation of Spartan in 1951, determined it to be the "most readable" typeface of the time.
Body copy Body copy is the normal text typeface and should be clear and easy to read. Avoid using upper-case text in this setting as it forces strain on the reader's eye and makes the overall text much harder to read. To increase readability and ease for the eye to follow the lines, use left text alignment only. For text with amount of word, it is allowed to centre the text.
18. Typography
Feel free to use italic and bold variants in the body copy when needed. Like its ancestor, Plantin, Copernicus is a versatile serif with a wide base and thick strokes. It's constructed with supple, curvaceous shapes yet avoids feeling delicate or unstable because of the 'wide stance' and balanced proportions. Copernicus has long been a go-to serif for pairing with sans-serif heavy designs because it doesn't have a strong vertical thrust as so many serifs do and the low thick-to-thin contrast gives it an even presence on the page that melds well with sans faces, which often have the same characteristics. To increase readability, try to minimize the number of word per lines. Longer lines with increased word count makes the text less readable.
Subsitute fonts for Word, mail etc. If Coppernicus and Spartan are not installed on your computer, use Georgia as body copy and Futura Bold for headlines.
Style
Font
Font size
Line height
Title/Headlines
Spartan Black
34
36
Tracking
-33
Printed lining patch Style
Font
Font size
Line height
Subheadings
Copernicus Medium Italic
9
12
Tracking
Font
Font size
Line height
Body copy
Copernicus Book
8
12
Font
Font size
Line height
Annotations S
Copernicus Semibold Italic
8
12
Tracking
-5
Belt loop waistband zip fly polyester lining white washable flattering high rise easy care flared fit cut straight leg that flares at the ankle.
Style
Font
Font size
Line height
Quotes/Anno. L
Copernicus Medium
15
24
Tracking
-5
-5
“Chino slant pockets thermal belt loop waistband zip fly polyester lining white.”
Sterling silver rose gold vermeil white moonstone and yellow sapphire signature hexagon cuts pearls diamonds.
Style
Style
Tracking
Style
Font
Font size
Line height
Bullets
Spartan Bold
10
14/18
Tracking
-11
-11
Chino slant pockets thermal belt loop waistband zip fly polyester lining white flattering high rise easy care flared fit - cut straight leg that flares at the ankle tight. Boot cut leg opening relaxed skinny slim straight from the waste.
+ Thermal belt loop waistband zip fly polyester. + Lining white washable flattering high rise easy care straight leg that flares at the ankle comfy tight. +Thermal belt loop waistband zip fly polyester.
Style
Font
Font size
Line height
Body headings
Spartan Bold
9
12
Tracking
-11
Style
Font
Font size
Line height
Captions
Copernicus Book
6
9
Tracking
-5
Embellishment detailing subtile All rights reserved. © 2022 Vargkläder AB.
19. Typography
It’s in our voice With Varg, we work with an informal, stripped-down tone that is based on credibility and emotion, more than on product features and performance. We like to feel that special intimacy with our followers that only a real quality brand is capable of. To get there, we rely on a captivating story, rather than boasting about the outstanding performance of our products. We try to keep a tone that is warm and familiar, and at the same time sharp and straightforward. Still, we let a touch of humor shine through in all our communication. We do not have to shout loudly to reach out, we rather whisper confidently in the ears of those who are likely to be receptive to what we have to say. Below are some directions regarding our tone of voice. Keep the tone informal based on confidence and emotion Create headlines open to free interpretation Speak of sustainability, wild life and freedom Stay imaginative, avoid the obvious Create a suspension between picture and words
20. Tonality
The many faces of Varg Our imagery shows our personality. The tonality can be playful, emotional and spontaneous, reflecting on real life situations. Below you’ll find some guidelines regarding imagery. Seek imperfection rather than perfection Tell a story, as often as you can Choose models with attitude and personality Show movement, unity andcompanionship Dare to use creative and different imagery
21. Tonality
Examples Here will follow a few selected visual examples of how Varg may appear in the public eye in the shape of ads.
Constancy Our visual platform, together with our very own expression and tone, is what confirms our identity. The combination makes us stick out in the crowd. It’s crucial that the expression is our own, and it should feel personal and distinctive. We spin the common thread persistently over time. In the end it builds our brand, and earns us recognition. To make it possible to navigate without causing confusion, we will keep our communication close to home. Therefore we have set a framework for how to use our brand voice. Within these frames, we let imagination and ingenuity roam free, but always with consistency when it comes to imagery and brand messages.
Varg on the web.
22. Examples
Varg print ad.
Varg digital ad.
23. Examples
Our brand journey has just begun For years, we’ve been exploring the terrain around us, biding our time. Now we’re about to move ahead, sharpening our position as an unorthodox outdoor brand going our own way. Our crossover mix puts us in a league of our own, not really comparable to any other brand Somewhere between a purpose and a sensation As a company we will continue to stand up for responsible ethics and fair values. At the same time, we wish to keep raising the bar when it comes to appearance and design. These are promises not to be compromised. Apart from that, with Varg one never knows for sure what to expect. And that’s the whole idea. We love to surprise and push boundaries, coming up with new solutions and materials. As long as we find a justification for our actions, anything might happen. The truth is, the team behind Varg are all experienced outdoor people and we know what it takes to feel at ease in the wild. May it be on a snowy slope, a windy rock or in the midst of a crowded street. If you like what you see: welcome onboard. The Varg family is growing by the minute, and our brand’s journey has just begun.
24. Brand promise
Power is not about somebody being big or small, power is in the spirit.” Alexander Usyk.
25. Brand promise
