When to Follow Brand Guidelines (and When Not to)
To follow the brand guidelines or not to follow, that is the question. Brand guidelines can give graphic designers a starting point and inspiration. Other times they are not well thought out, are unnecessarily limiting, and can hamstring an innovative design. Brand guidelines must be used or set aside on a case-by-case basis, and of course the client has the final say, but here are some general guidelines.
In the case of Chick-fil-A and Tillamook, their brand is very strong and recognizable. Changing their brand colors and fonts would only ever hurt the effectiveness of the advertisement. But these are the best of the best in terms of brand recognition, other lesser-known brands may not have such established marketing.
Brand guidelines are often made with small mediums in mind, for social media or flyers, not for a billboard vinyl spanning hundreds of square feet. Therefore, scripty fonts that only work on Instagram should be swapped out for a clear, bold font in a billboard campaign.
Similarly, low-contrast color combinations might be something a smaller design can get away with, but a billboard cannot. Chick-fil-A’s artwork is effective because red and white contrast well, and Tillamook’s yellow and blue color palette also contrasts very well. However, if a brand’s colors are pink and purple or blue and green ditch them if you can.
Logos can often be crowded, pixelated, and poorly designed. It could be better to state the name of the business than trying to use their logo that their niece made in 2004. In these cases, it is better to try to reinvent the wheel and not to use a logo at all than try to incorporate it badly. On the other end of the spectrum, larger corporations might have extremely strict rules on the spacing requirements around their precious logo they paid thousands of dollars to design. On a billboard standard graphic design margins and spacing rules aren’t always necessary and can prevent the elements from being large enough to see or read.
Creating artwork that the client wants and ensuring an engaging and effective design can be a balancing act. Explaining the difference in our artwork medium is crucial and can make or break the success of a piece.
If you are interested in advertising on one of our billboards call us at 800-221-4114 or email us at meadow@meadowoutdoor.com!
If you are interested in advertising on one of our billboards call us at 800-221-4114 or email us at meadow@meadowoutdoor.com!