Big brands like Nike, Amazon, and Apple remain the most recognized household names worldwide. It’s all because of its established branding identity. These brands and many others work tirelessly to keep their brands consistent and recognizable everywhere due to one simple document: a branding guidebook. Without this book, people would perceive them differently and wouldn’t stand out from the crowd. That’s what you’ll also need to differentiate yourself from the competition. We present the best brand style guide examples below. Plus, know how to make a brand style guide.
Note: All image screenshots of branding guidebooks are from Branding Style Guides.
1. Ace Hardware
The hardware store chain has a comprehensive branding guidebook. A branding guidebook like theirs can help your company or brand stay consistent across different media platforms. Plus, depending on the asset, you will know which fonts, logotypes, and colors. Aside from that, Ace Hardware also supplied photography, copy, holiday, and print design guidelines to ensure cohesiveness across multiple marketing assets.
2. Olympics
As an organization that’s been around for more than 100 years, it’s no surprise that the Olympics has an established branding guidebook despite holding major events every four years. This can differentiate them from other major sporting events to ensure that only the best of the best compete and bring honor to their country. That said, the major sporting competition organization also has extensive branding guidelines to ensure that the organization’s signature remains intact even if the sport is held every four years in a different city. It has guidelines for the following branding elements:
- Logo
- Colors
- Typography
- Graphic devices
- Photography
- Pictograms
- Illustrations
- Infographics
- Composition
3. Hulu
Hulu has a special name for its branding guidebook: The Big Green Guide. It contains ALL of its branding guidelines, keeping Hulu a recognizable brand worldwide. As you browse the brand style guide, you can see how consistently Hulu green is used on all pages. Even the Vessel and grids have their own brand style.
4. Bolt
Do you want a simple brand guide? Check out how Bolt made theirs to inspire yours! What’s amazing about the Bolt branding guidelines is that the lightning bolt is the main motif. You can see the lightning bolt on the logo, too! Aside from that, neon yellow-green colors are present on all pages. Plus, the brand sticks to the logo, color, and typography designs. This could suffice, especially if you want to focus on making your visual identity consistent across various media platforms.
5. Freepik
If you want a presentation style branding guideline, you can model yours like Freepik. Freepik has an introduction about the company as well as the brands under the group. Additionally, you can learn about the brand’s personality and the customer journey. Like the other brands above, they include the logo, colors, and typography. Plus, it has photography, iconography, illustrations, and expressions!
6. Evernote
Check out Evernote’s brand style guide. You will see the usual branding guideline sections. Theirs have motion, art direction, and type as art. If you’re a partner of the company, you can also contact the brand for questions about how to make the brand consistent. Finally, Evernote’s brand guidelines are comprehensive, adding multiple examples to ensure how the brand looks in various assets.
7. Reddit
Our final brand guideline example comes from Reddit. It uses the orange-red motif, the official color of the social media platform. Additionally, you’ll see the common brand style guide sections. Plus, it has terminologies and brand elements like stripes and circles. Moreover, it has a section on terms of use and displaying content, letting you know how Reddit should be presented to the world.
How to Make a Branding Guidebook?
Making a branding guidebook like the examples above is easier said than done. It’s doable, but you will need help from professionals to create an amazing branding guidebook. However, if you need more time to create one yourself, here’s a quick guide on what you need to organize your brand style.
1. Gather All Brand Elements
It’s essential that you know every detail about your brand style guide, even the minute detail that would make your brand consistent across various platforms and channels. Ensure that it has the basics like:
- Logo design and use
- Typography
- Colors
- Photography
- Illustrations or icons (if applicable)
- Copy style
When you have these, make sure that you write details, like how to use your logo and its do’s and don’ts. This way, your employees and partners will know how to use your branding assets.
2. Organize the Content
It’s time to organize the content once you prepare the elements and their copy. You don’t need to use any software yet. Think of organizing the content as if you’re writing an outline. Having a guide when writing your guidebook can create a logical flow when someone views or reads your brand style guide.
Most brands start the brand guidebook with the logo (after the title and table of contents). Then, there are the typography and color sections. It’s up to you what comes next, but it’s usually the sections on illustrations and photography styles.
3. Use DIY Graphic Design Software
After you’ve organized the content, it’s time to use a graphic design software. Many online graphic design software applications have a branding kit or guideline template. You can use these then just edit the content to fit your brand. However, if you’re not using a template, you can start from scratch. It can take more time than usual, though. And that’s why many brands partner with agencies or services to create their branding guidebooks.
Why Partner with Penji?
It can be tedious to create brand style guides on your own. In fact, you don’t have to do it yourself. You can outsource the brand style guide to Penji instead!
Many businesses subscribe to Penji because you can request designs. This includes logos, social media posts, web graphics, and branding guidebooks! When you tap Penji for your brand style guide, make sure that you give your assets to our designers. Our designers will use their expertise and know-how to create a stunning brand style guide!
And if you want to see Penji in action before giving us a shot, watch a demo video and see why many brands subscribe to Penji for their designs.
