osu alumni association 2013-14 style guide

Style Guide

• OSU Alumni Association Style Guide

Created in 1897 by the first graduating class of Oklahoma A&M, the Oklahoma State University Alumni Association has been working to strengthen the connection between alumni and their alma mater from

the very beginning. For more than 110 years, the Alumni Association has been creating and maintaining Connections for Life between loyal and true alums and Oklahoma State University.

The Alumni Association logo and visual identity is part of the university’s overall identity system. Like all university marks, proper usage requirements are necessary to ensure the logos are used consistently and correctly.

This manual will assist you in using the visual identity of the Alumni Association easily and accurately. Careful attention to these specifications will ensure consistent branding and messaging.

OSU Alumni Association Style Guide •

The OSU Alumni Association logo design was re-branded in 2008 in a way that maintains its familiar features while lending it to a bit more boldness and stronger design. The entire Alumni Association brand identity look and feel stems from this new logo design and its correct use.

The updated logo preserves the orange ball – one of the Alumni Association’s strongest visual assets. This element is pulled directly from the car decal that has served as a key component to the Alumni Association’s identity for close to 50 years. The orange ball is central to the new design and provides a strong link to previous branded materials, and allows us to build on the connection Alumni Association constituents have with the brand and the car decal.

Primary LogoThis is the preferred graphic for use with any Alumni Association publication. It must be reproduced in four colors.

Primary Logo Without a drop shadowThis version of the primary logo may be used if the use of a drop shadow is not suitable. It must be reproduced in four colors.


Other Configurations

One-Color LogoWhen printing a single-color (such as orange or black) piece, use the logo configurations above. These configurations should only be used when nec-essary to meet single-color printing requirements.

Grayscale LogoWhen printing in a black and white document, the grayscale logo con-figuration is acceptable. This config-uration should only be used when necessary.

Two-Color LogoWhen printing in two-color (such as orange and black) use the logo con-figuration above. This configuration should only be used when neces-sary to meet two-color printing re-quirements.


WordmarkThis configuration should only be used when necessary when use of the primary logo will not work due to size or format constraints. Examples of use may include embroidered items or circular items that require a one-color print.

Formal LogoThis logo is only to be used by the OSU Alumni Association. It is not for use by outside entities or alumni chapters.


OSU®

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

Student

The OSU Student Alumni Association LogosThe OSU Student Alumni Association has a varity of logos that are similar to the Alumni Association primary logo and wordmark.

Primary Logo

Grayscale Logo

Other Configurations


The ConocoPhillips OSU Alumni Center WordmarkThe ConocoPhillips OSU Alumni Center has a logo similar to the Alumni Association wordmark. It is a one-color logo that may be used in orange black or white.

Alumni Association Chapter LogosThe OSU Alumni Association has chapters and clubs across the U.S. The logos for the chapters are similar to the Alumni Association primary logo and wordmark. Their use is to be aproved by the Alumni Association to en-sure appropriate usage.

Primary Chapter Logo Chapter Wordmark

Personalized Chapter Wordmarks


Unacceptable Logo Applications

AlterationsThe logo should not be altered, an-gled, stylized, outlined or distorted.

Improper SourceThe logo should not be pulled from an unapproved source (i.e., Alumni Association website or email).

ModificationsThe logo should not be modified by using a different font than specified, layering a different logo on top of the orange ball or merging the uni-versity primary mark with the Alum-ni Association name.

X XXX

XX


Alumni Association Exclusive Promotional Items

Promotional StickerThe leaning Pistol Pete and orange ball are to be used only by the Alum-ni Association for promotional use.

The Alumni Association car decal is the most recognizable symbol of the organization. For five decades, it has represented the Alumni Association and was a visible symbol of pride for members of the OSU Alumni Asso-ciation. Three different versions are distributed to members depending on their membership status. The orange car decal is an exclusive member-only benefit and is distributed by the Alumni Association. It is not authorized to be reproduced or altered by anyone outside of the organization.

OSU®

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

®


Mission StatementThe mission of the OSU Alumni Association is to serve its members and alumni and to support and serve the needs of Oklahoma State University, its students, faculty, staff, and friends.

Vision StatementTo be recognized as the gateway that fosters lifelong connections between its alumni and Oklahoma State University.

Positioning Statement - Connections for LifeIn an effort to remain true to its mission and vision, the Alumni Association strives to provide “Connections for Life” for the more than 240,000 gradu-ates, students, fans and friends of Oklahoma State University. Although this constituency comes from very different areas and backgrounds, all share the deep bond of the OSU experience.

The positioning statement of the Alumni Association symbolizes its mission to provide “Connections for Life” to its diverse audience. This is achieved through an engaging mix of programs and activities including “America’s Greatest Homecoming Celebration” and award-winning Legacy Program and local alumni chapters across the country.

The positioning statement appears on business cards, letterhead, envelopes and other print materials produced by the OSU Alumni Association.

Variations of the positioning statement are used for specific programs of the Association, but do not replace the positioning statement “Connections for Life”.

“Your Orange Connection” appears on the Alumni Association website and in some e-mail communication pieces.

“Connected for Life” is engraved on the inside of the Official OSU Class Ring.


For news releases, be sure to include the Alumni Association’s boilerplate to the bottom of the release.

The OSU Alumni Association serves as a lifelong connection be-tween alumni and Oklahoma State University. As a member orga-nization, the Alumni Association serves more than 200,000 alumni living worldwide, as well as OSU students, faculty, staff and friends. By supporting the extensive alumni network from OSU, the Alumni Association provides a connection back to the university through a number of outreach programs as well as a complete directory to connect alumni to each other. Get Connected – Stay Connected – orangeconnection.org!

The Alumni Association Boilerplate


Official Color Palette

OSU

Ora

ng

e(c

oat

ed)

OSU

Gra

y

Bla

ck

OSU

Lig

ht

Ora

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Pantone 166c

C 0%M 64%Y 100%K 0%

Pantone Orange 021u

C 0%M 65%Y 90%K 0%

R 255G 124B 25

FF7300

Pantone Cool Gray 5c

C 0%M 0%Y 0%K 30%

R 190G 190B 190

BEBEBE

Pantone Process Black

C 0%M 0%Y 0%K 100%

R 0G 0B 0

000000

Spot Color

Four-Color Process

RGB Color

Web-Safe Color

PMS, Pantone Matching System. PANTONE® is a registered trademark of PANTONE, Inc.

OSU

Ora

ng

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nco

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Pantone 151c

C 0%M 48%Y 95%K 0%

R 255G 153B 0

FF9900

OSU’s offical colors shown here are Pantone 166 and 151 with full-color process, RGB and Web-Safe Color builds. Pantone 166 is for printing on coated white paper stock. Pantone 021 is for all other media and surfaces, including uncoated and matte-coated stock. 021’s advantage over Pantone 166 is in its consistency and intense color while Pantone 166 can look brown in some applications.


Typefaces

The preferred typefaces for the OSU Alumni Association are listed below. Please limit use to one serif and one sans-serif font per publication. This suite of typefaces offers all the variety needed to create appropriate and effective emphasis in all Association communications.

The Eras family of fonts is the primary typeface of the Alumni Association.

Eras Light ITC Eras Medium ITC (sample shown below)

Eras Demi ITC Eras Bold ITC

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y zA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 $ % & ( . , ; : # ! ? )

Adobe Caslon Proa b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y zA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 $ % & ( . , ; : # ! ? )

Sloop-ScriptOne

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y zA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T UV W X Y Z 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 $ % & ( . , ; : # ! ? )

Consistent use of typefaces is the marketing and promotional efforts of the Alumni Association can be just as an effective recognition tool as the logo to our constituents.

If the aforementioned font types are unavailable, please use the suggested replacement fonts below:

For Eras, a suitable replacement is Verdana or Arial.

For Adobe Caslon Pro, a suitable replacement is Times New Roman.


The OSU Alumni Association follows the same editorial style as the univer-sity and Associated Press Style with only a few exceptions. The Associated Press Stylebook is available online at apstylebook.com.

Association-specific editorial style

First reference for the organization name is Oklahoma State University Alumni Association. If the name of the university is used prior to first refer-ence to the organization, OSU Alumni Association may be used. On subse-quent references, Alumni Association may be used.

First reference for the building name is ConocoPhillips OSU Alumni Center. On second reference, Alumni Center may be used.

Use Grandparent University for first reference. On second reference, the abbreviation GPU may be used.

The Alumni Association game day event at the Alumni Center is referred to as the Cowboy Corral. Do not abbreviate to Corral.

Game day is two words. Kickoff is one word.

Example: On game day, the Cowboy Corral will begin three and a half hours prior to kickoff.

Website addresses are to be listed without the www. in front of them.

Example: The orangeconnection.org website is your resource for all things OSU.

Phone numbers are written with dots not dashes.

Example: 405.744.5368

Editorial Style


The Alumni Association is the administrator of the Official OSU Class Ring program. On first reference, the ring and the program need to be referred to in the same way.

Example: Every year, the OSU Alumni Association presents the Offi-cial OSU Class Ring to students who have earned 60 or more credit hours.

The Alumni Association has more than 50 alumni chapters and watch clubs around the country. On first reference, the entire chapter name should be used.

Please note: if it is also first reference for the name of the Alumni Associa-tion, OSU should be spelled out. Otherwise, the acronym is acceptable.

On second reference, an abbreviated version of the chapter may be used.

Example: The Tulsa Chapter of the OSU Alumni Association will host their annual fund raiser in November.

Example: The Chicago Alumni Chapter has 75 members.

The name of Alumni Association programs is capitalized, but the word program is not.

Example: The Alumni Recruiting Students program is a member-only benefit of the OSU Alumni Association.

Capitalize the ‘L’ when referring specifically to a registered Legacy of the Alumni Association’s Legacy program.

Example: The Alumni Association invites Legacies from across the country to Grandparent University.


When referring to Homecoming and its events, there are several style points to consider.

For first reference the school name is spelled out and single quote marks are used on either side of the year’s theme:

Example: The Oklahoma State University Alumni Association presents Homecoming 2013: ‘Branding a Brighter Orange.’

On second reference, refer to it as OSU Homecoming 2013.

Double quote marks are reserved for the nationally-recognized name of OSU’s Homecoming: “America’s Greatest Homecoming Celebration.” When using the nationally-recognized name, the words ‘presented by’ are the approved verbiage when referring to the Alumni Association’s role in the event.

“America’s Greatest Homecoming Celebration” is presented by the Oklahoma State University Alumni Association.

Signature Homecoming events have specialized names that do not necessarily follow AP style.

WalkaroundSea of Orange ParadeHarvest CarnivalChili Cook-OffFootball FrenzyHomecoming & HoopsOrange ReflectionOrange GlowAll-Night PompPomping


Exceptions to AP Style:AP style calls for the use of quotation marks for all titles. The Alumni Association italicizes the titles of books, movies, television shows, the names of paintings, boats, airplanes and other large standalone works and uses quotation marks around the titles of smaller works such as poems, song titles, articles or chapters.

AP style says “home page” is written as two words, but the Alumni Association uses “homepage” as the standard form. The Alumni Association also follows AP in the use of “online” and “e-mail” and in the capitalization of “World Wide Web,” the “Web” and the “Internet.”

Common stylistic errors:Overcapitalization - Following AP style, the Alumni Association does not capitalize academic departments and campus offices unless they contain a proper noun or unless they are part of the official name.

Examples: The department of history; the purchasing department; the department of English; the Oklahoma State University Depart-ment of Chemistry; the office of the president; Office of Natural Resources; the university; Oklahoma State University.

Capitalize formal titles (those that indicate authority, usually governmen-tal) used before a name. Lowercase titles set off by commas and titles that refer to occupation.

Examples: The club president, Biggsby, brandished the gavel. President Biggsby cultivated a relationship between OSU and other countries. Students enjoyed professor Biggsby’s classes. Biggsby, MAX professor of genetics and chair of the department, taught two generations of OSU students. (Note: It’s not disrespectful to lower-case titles. Plus, names are easier to read without them.)

The proper names of endowed chairs, however, are capitalized on first reference.


Examples: The V. Brown Monnett Chair in petroleum geology, the Bryan Close Professor in human development and family science, the Hannah D. Adkins Endowed Chair for political science and gov-ernment information.

Passive Construction - Active sentence structure places the subject in the subject position. Passive voice lengthens and confuses the sentence by us-ing phrases to move the subject after the verb.

Examples: Biggsby was appointed director by the committee (pas-sive). The committee appointed Biggsby director (active). The Biggs-by study was awarded a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation (passive) The National Science Foundation awarded the Biggsby study a $1 million grant (active).

Pronoun Reference - Pronoun reference problems occur when the pro-noun doesn’t agree in number with the noun it references.

Examples: The department listed a job opening in their accounting office (incorrect: the department is singular). The department listed a job opening in its accounting office (correct).

Academic Degrees - Use an apostrophe in master’s degree. Doctorate is the preferred when noting a degree held.

Wayward Modifiers - Place descriptive words and phrases close to the word described to avoid confusion.

Examples: Biggsby ran after the bus dragging the bag on the pave-ment (incorrect if Biggsby is dragging the bag; correct if the bus is dragging the bag). Biggsby walked to the bus on the cell phone (incorrect). Talking on the cell phone, Biggsby walked to the bus (correct).


Tips to ease the way:1. One space between sentences. We know your typing teacher told you two, but for the purposes of layout, one is enough.

2. Numbers one through nine are spelled out. At 10, they turn into num-bers.

3. When you use “that,” read the sentence again and imagine it without it. Chances are you don’t need it.

4. Don’t be afraid to use contractions. Again, we’re not formal. Contrac-tions help your writing sound conversational, i.e. it makes your “voice” actually sound like one. Marketing writing isn’t academic writing, after all.

5. End-of-the-sentence punctuation and commas go inside quotation marks.

osu alumni association 2013-14 style guide

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