Visual identity

guidelines
nov 2020
BRAND SIGNIFIERS OVERVIEW

BRANDING
COLOUR

ORIGINAL ART DIRECTION

TONE OF VOICE

ORIGINALITY &
PHOTOGRAPHY STYLE BRANDING
ORIGINALITY
 ORIGINALITY IS...

DISTINCT VALUABLE A MINDSET

Originality is by definition new Originality isn’t different for the Originality is a drive to seek out
and unique, standing apart from sake of being different. It must new perspectives, to break from
what has come before it. have value and depth in order to the status quo. A mindset shared
attract people to it. by our founder and our
audience.
 OUR ORIGINALITY DEFINITION….

Challenging
conventions to set a
new standard.

FPO
 ORIGINALITY

ORIGINALITY

TIER 1
In our pictures we don't just show
images, but we tell unconventional and
original stories.

Originality is a principle we can stretch

depending of our task.

We can go strongly original in our brand

and lifestyle compositions, taking it to the
highest creative level (Tier 1)

TIER 2
Or we can dial down the originality with
more simple imagery (Tier 2)

Or, if we have more product/serving focus

compositions, we add originality in the
way we present it or with the props
around it (Tier 3)

TIER 3
LIFESTYLE - DO’S
STYLISH MODERN & PROGRESSIVE WIT FUN

WELCOMING & APPROACHABLE SHOOT IN CAMERA

LIFESTYLE - DON'TS
SILLY WEIRD DIGITALLY MANIPULATE

VINTAGE CREEPY DARK SINISTER

OCCASION & SOCIABILITY - DO’S
INTRIGUE DIVERSITY INTERESTING LOCATIONS

UNEXPECTED COMPOSITIONS UNEXPECTED ANGLES

 OCCASION & SOCIABILITY - DON'TS

SEXUAL STRANGE & DISTURBING POINTLESS WEIRD

PRODUCT & SERVING - DO’S
FUN PROPS

SHOOT IN CAMERA INTERESTING ANGLES HERO SERVING AND/OR PRODUCT

PRODUCT & SERVING - DON'TS
CHILDISH PHOTOSHOPPED / DIGITALLY MANIPULATED

VULGAR NO CONCEPT MONTAGE

COLOUR
 COLOUR

We turn up the colours to eleven to create

a bold and visually striking aesthetic,
embracing hyperrealism.

We also use colour blocking -

We take opposite colours and we pair
them to make interesting combinations.

Blocks of colour can still have texture and

patterns.

We never feel vintage, or nostalgic.

 MASTERBRAND/
12YO
Our Colour Family

CORE

Founders 15yo
Caribbean Reserve 14yo / Captain’s Reserve 18yo
ASIA

Asia 15yo
Asia 13yo
12yo/Masterbrand

PRIMARY

SECONDARY

ACCENT (OPTIONAL)
Founders

PRIMARY

SECONDARY

ACCENT (OPTIONAL)
Caribbean Reserve

PRIMARY

SECONDARY

ACCENT (OPTIONAL)
14yo / Captain’s Reserve

PRIMARY

SECONDARY

ACCENT (OPTIONAL)
15yo

PRIMARY

SECONDARY

ACCENT (OPTIONAL)
18yo

PRIMARY

SECONDARY

ACCENT (OPTIONAL)
Asia 13yo

PRIMARY

SECONDARY

ACCENT (OPTIONAL)
Asia 15yo

PRIMARY

SECONDARY

ACCENT (OPTIONAL)
 Guidelines

At least 80% of the composition

must be using a combination of
Primary & Secondary colours (of
the key product). If the completed
artwork,does not compose of a mix
of the primary & secondary
colours then it does not meet the
requirements set by our design
guidelines.

For example:
On a Founders Reserve advert, 80%
of the layout must contain a
combination of FR Blue and
Masterbrand Turquoise (and
where possible some hints of the
accent colour, peach).

The following slides show how the

masterbrand turquoise can be used
as either a background colour or a
colour of the main composition
(lifestyle/product etc).

2
7
PHOTOGRAPHY
STYLE
 COMPOSITION

Our compositions are graphic and

simple.

Everything we use in a piece of design POSITIVE

should have purpose, and a reason for NEGATIVE SPACE SPACE NEGATIVE SPACE
being there. 60% 40%

We keep a consistent balance between the

positive and negative space by always
leaving a minimum of 40% negative
space to ensure legibility and visibility of
certain elements like logo or text.
COMPOSITION

NEGATIVE SPACE
70%

NEGATIVE SPACE
40%

POSITIVE SPACE
30%

POSITIVE SPACE
60%
 FULL BLEED IMAGERY

SKY

96s

Simple, graphic full bleed images give us

flexibility.

It allows us to maximize our assets and

adapt them to multiple formats, whether
cropping or retouching them to expand
backgrounds.

6s 48s
 LIFESTYLE & CASTING

These are interesting, diverse people

with a certain warmth, energy and
attraction that invites you in.

They are all over 30 years plus, male and

female, confident in themselves, and
unpretentious.

How model-y do we go? Reality feels

cooler.

We are a progressive and inclusive, so we

look to show a balance of female, male
and non-binary individuals in our
imagery.
 WARDROBE

It reflects our bold and original

personality.

We avoid complicated designs or patterns

in order to keep it simple and let the
colours speak for themselves.

The designs are modern, stylish and

eclectic. Tailored to each of our
individuals.

Always wore with attitude and

confidence.

We should avoid designs that feel to retro

or vintage.
 LOCATIONS

Whether indoors or outdoors, our

locations are graphic and distinct
to help us compose striking shots.
 OCCASION & SOCIABILITY

We’re a modern, social brand and we

showcase this at every opportunity.

The Glenlivet is enjoyed in the afternoon,

as well as at night; by the pool, as well as
in the bar.

We sometimes show more than one

drinker, but we simplify the image by
cropping out faces and just leaving
human elements on it - the body, legs, a
hand… Or just some props that suggest
human presence.

This way attention focus in our original

compositions while still having a sense of
sociability.
 TGL BOTTLE & SERVING

Whenever we want to show TGL product

or serving we always do it in situ.

It’s integrated in the image like any

other element, always visible.
 HERITAGE

We look to original ways of

infusing heritage imagery
with originality and our
visual approach - graphic,
bold, colorful.

GEORGE SMITH
(Painting Treatment)
PHOTOGRAPHY - THINGS NOT TO DO

EXAMPLE EXAMPLE

COMP IN OR PASTE PRODUCT CROPPING OUT KEY ELEMENTS BUSY IMAGERY MONOCHROMATIC IMAGERY FAKE/CLICHE SOCIABILITY
TONE OF VOICE

GEORGE SMITH
(Painting Treatment)
ART DIRECTION
& BRANDING
 CAMPAIGN FONTS
AKTIV GROTESK - BOLD

Our approach to typography is big, simple

and bold.

Aktiv Grotesk - Bold is our new font for

headlines. A font that balances simplicity
and maximum impact in all our campaign
messaging. All headlines should be
written ALL CAPS.

Aktiv Grotesk - Light is our new

secondary font and should be used for
body copy in print and online.

To make our endline stand, we keep Bebas

Kai as its only font. However, the Original AKTIV GROTESK - LIGHT BEBAS KAI REGULAR
by Tradition Stacked Lock-up should be
used when artworking. It could be used
for SUB HEADINGS.
FONT, LOGO & ENDLINE COLOUR

We always use The Glenlivet cream

colour for our text, endline and logo, so
they stand out against our imagery and
create consistency across all our comms.

Note: This is stock imagery for illustration purposes only.

ARTWORK PLACEMENT, SIZING & LEADING - LANDSCAPE FORMATS
We stack all the text and left-align it,
so it works as a block.

Margin is defined by the tenth of the artwork

HEIGHT for landscapes.

The leading of the headline is defined by 30% of

character height (excl. Letters Q, U, O, S, G, J, C).

BLOCK OF TEXT
The Glenlivet logo size is defined by the tenth of
the artwork height + 25% of that number. Except

48-Sheet
96-Sheet whereby it’s doubled. Logo could be resize
whereby necessary to fit artwork.

The “Original by Tradition” campaign lockup is

equal the character height of the headline. It is
positioned after the last line of the headline using
the leading of the headline. It defines the
positioning of the whole HEADLINE + OBT by
aligning the word “ORIGINAL” to the bottom
margin.

The Curve size width is defined by doubling the

margin size. Its placement is always left-aligned to
the edge just above the headline using the headline
leading.

We look at positioning our text over our negative

96-Sheet
or positive space encompassing not more than
80% of the artwork height. It’s ok if it overlaps as
long as it doesn’t go over key elements of the
image.
ARTWORK PLACEMENT, SIZING & LEADING - PORTRAIT FORMATS

We stack all the text and left-align it,

so it works as a block.

Margin is defined by the tenth of the artwork

WIDTH for portraits.

The leading of the headline is defined by 30% of

character height (excl. Letters Q, U, O, S, G, J, C).

The Glenlivet logo size is defined by the tenth of the

artwork width + 25% of that number. Logo could be
resize whereby necessary to fit artwork.

The “Original by Tradition” campaign lockup is

equal the character height of the headline. It is
positioned after the last line of the headline using the
leading of the headline. It defines the positioning of
the whole HEADLINE + OBT by aligning the word
“ORIGINAL” to the bottom margin.

The Curve size width is defined by doubling the

margin size. Its placement is always left-aligned to
the edge just above the headline using the headline
leading.

We look at positioning our text over our negative or

positive space encompassing not more than 80% of
the artwork width. It’s ok if it overlaps as long as it
doesn’t go over key elements of the image.
BLOCK OF TEXT
CAMPAIGN LINE & LOGO PLACEMENT

We place our endline as an extension

of our block of text.

It’s not aligned, but it is still integrated

in the visual as a complement.

We always stack it on two lines with the split in the

line being after ‘original’.

We always set it below the last line of text. The

endline should be able to flex along and under the
last line of the headline - for example it could line
up off the ‘N’ or ‘A’ in ‘Company’ for example.

The TGL logo has no set positioning and can flex to

whatever works best for the main image.

FPO
 LOGO LOCK UP RULES

The size of the margin is the size of the

logo on the bottle. A bigger bottle in
layout equals a larger margin. The main
logo on the page should never bleed into
these margins.

FPO

Note: This is stock imagery for illustration purposes only.

THE LOGO - THINGS NOT TO DO

EXAMPLE EXAMPLE

SCALE THE LOGO PLACE IT IN BUSY AREAS COVER KEY ELEMENTS COVER TOO MUCH OF
USE OTHER COLOURS
NOT FOLLOWING GUIDELINES AFFECTING LEGIBILITY IN IMAGE THE BOTTLE OR SERVES.
BRAND
SIGNIFIERS
The Curve

The curve is taken from the bottle label designs and

packaging. Its original inspiration was from the shape of the
old Packhorse Bridge across the River Livet.

Using the curve fivefold, meaning that there are five curved
lines. It cannot be any other number of curves, only five. The
curve used with a wash of light, creates a premium feel. It
should always be in a copper colour on our comms.

Usage
The Curve shall be used on most comms output. On
advertising layouts, it is positioned just above the headline.
See layout guidelines for size and placement for rules.

5
0
The Curve

5
1
BRAND
APPLICATIONS
 ART DIRECTION AS EASY AS ABC

A. PHOTOGRAPHY:
We turn up colours to eleven.
We are simple and original in our
compositions. Product in situ.
 ART DIRECTION AS EASY AS ABC

B. TEXT:
We are confident.
Always stacked, big and bold.

A. PHOTOGRAPHY:
We turn up colours to eleven.
We are simple and original in our
compositions. Product in situ.
 ART DIRECTION AS EASY AS ABC

C. BRANDING:
Visible and iconic. Flexibility with the
logo. Endline integrates into the block of
text.

B. TEXT:
We are confident.
Always stacked, big and bold.

A. PHOTOGRAPHY:
We turn up colours to eleven.
We are simple and original in our
compositions. Product in situ.
 FPO
INSITU- 48 SHEET
 FPO
INSITU- 6 SHEET
 FPO
INSITU- 6 SHEET
 FPO
INSITU- DOUBLE PAGE
 FPO
INSITU- SINGLE PAGE
 FPO
INSITU- 96 SHEET
 FPO
INSITU - SKY
 FPO
L3F

Our new bold, full bleed imagery makes

the most of the L3F formats, allowing
maximum visibility and awareness.
 HOW DO WE APPROACH MULTIPACK

When doing multipack executions we

always incorporate all the bottles in situ,
arranged in unexpected ways.

We can place them in original

backgrounds, coloured in the TGL
Turquoise tones.

FPO
VIDEO
 HOW DO WE APPROACH AV
We adjust our bold and bright visual
approach to our films to make sure it
doesn’t get in the way of our narrative.

We live in a real world, we avoid to look

contrived or too heavy handed so we
manage the colours to look real.

Yet we create idealized versions of the

reality by pushing the vibrancy of the
colours to deliver and original and
modern aesthetic. This also help us to set
the right mood.

We tell compelling stories that are

believable. And the way we use colour
must help to get that sentiment across so
we should avoid monochromatic or
artificial approaches.

Good examples can be found in the work

of Wes Anderson or Alex Prager.

For our upcoming commercials, we’ll

collaborate with a director that shares
our new aesthetic.
 ENDFRAME

The very same principles of our visual identity apply to our AV

and therefore to the endframes:

- Bottle always in situ.

- The bottle is the main object in the frame.

- The action relates to the concept of the film.

- We use our bold and original type.

- Titles animate and stack as per our guidelines.

Titles disappear and logo comes up.

 ENDFRAME

Other original ways to show the bottle in situ.

SOCIAL
GUIDELINES
 HOW DO WE APPROACH SOCIAL

We bring this new visual identity to social

so we can create engaging and eye-
catching content.

From still images, to campaign cutdowns

to more bespoke assets, our bold approach
ties all of them together.
 HOW DO WE APPROACH SOCIAL - STILL

We let our colourful and vibrant visuals

speak for themselves by placing the copy
in the caption area.

Our personality will also come across in

the way we set the copy. We stack it, just
like the way we do it in our key visuals.

Simple, bold and with attitude.

 HOW DO WE APPROACH SOCIAL - MOVING IMAGE

We also embrace our bold, confident

attitude by bringing to life our original
imagery.

Text disappears, leaving room for self-

explanatory and entertaining pieces of
content.
 HOW DO WE APPROACH SOCIAL - CAMPAIGN CUTDOWNS

Our campaign cutdowns bring our vibrant

and bold attitude from our main film asset
into social. With typography animated in
in original ways.
 HOW DO WE APPROACH SOCIAL - PRODUCT

When showing the bottle we create

intriguing scenarios that convey
originality and style.

The bottle is always the protagonist, at

the centre of the image and with some
sort of movement.
 HOW DO WE APPROACH SOCIAL - SERVING

We always show our servings in

interesting ways: daylight, unexpected
pairings, unique places...

Our servings never look boring or ‘bored’.

The human touch: if we want to get the

focus in the servings we don’t show full
body people. We just see hands or other
parts interacting with the serving.
 HOW DO WE APPROACH SOCIAL - SERVING

If it is a cocktail we could see a hand

finishing it with the last ingredient, or
placing the garnish. Or filling up a serving.
A simple action.
THANK
YOU
Katia Fragkou
Head of Brand Communications & Digital
E: [email protected]
M: +44 778 726 6946

Naomi Rees
Marketing Manager
E: [email protected]
M: +44 7768 555725

Jisu Pang
Brand Manager
E: [email protected]
M: +44 7768 505669

Margaux Barbe
Brand Manager
E: [email protected]
M: +44 7826 510344