Brand Guide & Graphic Standards R e vi sed 11.04 N P R ® Corporate Identity Sta n d a r d s INTRODUCTION In a highly competitive media world, the need for a strong, clearly-defined company identity could not be greater. While being a giant enterprise is not one of NPR’s goals, as a non-profit organization we are still faced with the impact that a largely unknown and out of sync image has on our organization. A weak and unknown identity can impair NPR’s ability to develop the best possible programming, secure corporate underwriting, recruit the brightest talent, and ultimately serve the public in the best possible manner. Consequently, in February 1997, NPR, working with CKS New York, a consulting firm specializing in brand and identity development, began developing a program to enhance its identity. In addition, NPR will continue its campaign to strengthen its identity by establishing proper guidelines for use of its visual identity, including all of its registered and unregistered marks. I. NPR IDENTITY The key elements of the NPR identity system are the NPR logo, a graphic expression of the organization’s personality, and the NPR audio logo, an aural expression of the organization’s personality.The NPR logo is composed of a graphic representation of the three letters “n,” “p,” and “r,” and does not include the name “National Public Radio.” The new NPR logo is a service mark of National Public Radio, Inc. and must always be displayed with the “SM” symbol until it is officially registered as a service mark by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Once the new logo is registered (those licensed to use the mark will be advised when it has been registered), the NPR logo must always be displayed with the encircled “®” symbol. While the NPR logo spells out our initials in lower case within its graphic representation, the letter combination “NPR” in all caps is also a separately registered service mark.The letter combination “NPR” and the name “National Public Radio” are both registered service marks of National Public Radio, Inc. and each must have a legible ® affixed to it. NPR Nomenclature “NPR” shall be the primary communicative name, and shall only be referred to as NPR rather than “National Public Radio.” In the past, NPR has referred to itself as “NPR” and “National Public Radio” interchangeably and inconsistently. In addition, the words “National,” “Public,” and “Radio” perpetuate some of NPR’s most common perceptual problems. A significantly large number of individuals believe that NPR receives most of its income from the federal government, is publicly traded, is a government institution, or is the same organization as PBS.These misperceptions can 1 inhibit our ability to secure underwriting and successfully distinguish ourselves from the competition. “National Public Radio,” should only be used within a body of text to endorse NPR. For legal documents use “National Public Radio, Inc.” “National Public Radio” shall not be used in lieu of the NPR logo and the NPR name. Trademark vs. service mark A trademark is any word, name, phrase, symbol or design, or combination thereof used in commerce to identify and distinguish goods of one party from those of others. A service mark is the same as a trademark except that it identifies and distinguishes the services of one party from those of others. A trademark is abbreviated TM and a service mark is abbreviated SM. Since NPR is in the business of producing and distributing radio programs and providing other services to its member stations and listeners, we use the word “service mark” in lieu of “trademarks” to identify and distinguish NPR’s programs and services. The trademark owner must apply to register the mark with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) before federal protection begins. Word mark vs. design mark A word mark is a trademark or service mark for a word or phrase that NPR uses in commerce. A design mark is a trademark or service mark for a symbol or logo that NPR uses in commerce. Registered vs. unregistered The “®” symbol is used only when the word mark or design mark have been registered through the U.S. PTO. The “SM” and “TM” symbols are used when a word mark or design mark is in the process of being registered. Until the mark is officially registered, is it unlawful to use the “®” symbol. “SM” appears next to service marks and “TM” appears next to trademarks. A new NPR mark for programming, services, or products should not be used in commerce with the “SM” or “TM” designation without first discussing the new mark with an attorney in NPR’s Office of the General Counsel. When should you use “®”,“SM”, or “TM”? These symbols must appear with the first occurrence of a word mark in the body copy of any given document, even if it’s a possessive form.Titles, heads, and subheads are exempt from the rule.The initial registration symbol covers all additional instances of the word mark in the same document. For design or editorial reasons, you may opt not to use the “®”, “SM”, or “TM” so long as you include a legal disclaimer tailored for the specific marks referred in the document. Most NPR disclaimers conform to the following model : [word mark] and the [word mark logo] are registered and unregistered service marks of National Public Radio, Inc. On most printed materials, disclaimers should appear at a size no larger than 7-point type. For oversized applications such as roadside billboards, size of type should be adjusted accordingly. If you are unsure about the accuracy of a legal disclaimer, contact an NPR attorney or NPR’s Communications division. 2 Copyright line To establish NPR as the owner of any published material (technical document, advertising, films, videos, etc.) use the following copyright line: ©[year of publication] National Public Radio, Inc. On most printed materials, the copyright line should appear at a size no larger than 7-point type. For oversized applications such as roadside billboards, size of type should be adjusted accordingly. On other materials, consult the producer. If you are unsure about the accuracy of a legal disclaimer, contact NPR’s Communications division at (202.513.2317 or 513.2325). NPR word mark registration status re g i s t e r ed word marks u n r e g i s t e red word marks owned by NPR developed by NPR All Things Considere d ® At the OperaS M A n t h e m ® Billy Ta y l o r ’s Jazz at the Kennedy AT C ® C e n t e r S M Class of 2000: Family Stories® E u o n l i n e S M Class of 2000: The Prejudice Puzzle® e X p l o re R a d i o S M C o m m u n i q u e ® Jazz from Lincoln CenterS M Jazz Alive® NPR Newscast ServiceS M Jazz Pro f i l e s ® NPR World of OperaS M Link Up With Us® R e w i n d S M M o r ning Edition® World Radio NetworkS M National Public Radio® N P R ® NPR Satellite Services® w o r d marks not owned by NPR NPR takes you there® Car Ta l k ® Performance To d a y ® F resh Air® Public Radio Satellite System® J a z z S e t ® Radio Expeditions® On the Media® Sounds Like Science® Only a Game® Talk of the Nation® Says Yo u ! ® Wade in the water® Selected Shorts® Wait, Wait... Don’t Tell Me!® Sunday Morning Baro q u e ® Weekend Edition® Rock & Roll America® Weekly Edition: The Best of NPR News® The Thistle & Shamro c k ® 3 II. NPR TYPOGRAPHY Bell Gothic Black is the principal typeface for NPR.The NPR name typeface functions as a second element of the identification. Its use in all signatures, signs, business forms, stationary, advertising, and promotion helps to tie these communications together and quickly identify the organization. NPR must always appear in Bell Gothic Black when used as headline or subheadline copy. It is not necessary that NPR appear in Bell Gothic Black when NPR is used within a body of text. For print communications, the NPR name has been typeset in Bell Gothic Black on reproduction sheets for use as camera-ready art. NPR® B ell Gothic Black 4 III. NPR LOGO Proper Use The proper use of the NPR logo is essential in order to ensure consistent corporate identity and strengthen its overall impact.The logo must not be altered in any way, redrawn, embellished, or recreated. Variations are not permitted. Color Standards The NPR logo must be reproduced in multiple colors as shown on page 4 every time multiple colors are used to advertise and promote NPR and its programs. The NPR logo shall only be reproduced in one color when no more than two colors are being used to advertise and promote NPR and its programs. The NPR logo may only be reproduced in a single color for materials used with NPR itself and situations, both internal and external, where full color is impractical or uneconomical, such as newsprint and one or two color reproduction. The effective use of the corporate colors requires a high degree of quality control in color matching. The variables like the type of paper, amount and type of ink, printing equipment, and the character of light which falls upon or is projected onto the color all affect the final color. Satisfactory color matching cannot be achieved by only specifying a number or system.To insure correct color reproduction, match colors visually to swatches from a Pantone Color Specifying System.