Brand

Identity
Guide

Purpose
HERO Sports is for people who are passionate
about sports. We are the premier site for the most
inclusive and comprehensive collegiate athletic
program news and information. We aim to elevate
stories of remarkable athletes, teams, coaches and
fans of every division of every sports team nationally.

Customers
Our customers are not defined by demographics, but
by their passion for sports. They depend on us to
deliver the most compelling and inclusive sports
news and information to them, every day. What is
most important to them is seeing their favorite teams
highlighted for their remarkable achievements. We
are a platform to help Sports Information Directors
raise awareness. We are a sounding board for
coaches to share their vision. We are a spotlight for
players on the rise to showcase their talent. We are a
community for fans and alumni to share in their
teams success. We are a service for young athletes
to be discovered.

Positioning
We help our customers show their team spirit by
providing news, information and engagement around
the sports they love in an easy, accurate, one-stop
experience.

Brand Personality
It is our job to make sure that all of our
communications are consistent with the following
brand personality traits. Our brand personality traits
describe how we want our customers to perceive our
company.
SCRAPPY
Determined or pugnacious. Weve got a little
fight in us. We understand that good things
come to those who hustle and we arent afraid
of a challenge. We are the underdog with a big
bite and a purposeful bark.
WITTY
Showing or characterized by quick and inventive
verbal humor. We are smart and lighthearted.
We seek to be informative while being engaging
and relatable.

ADVOCATING
Publicly recommend or support. We are the
voice of our fans. We are supportive and seek to
promote the interest of our following. We want
every team to see a place in the sun.
STEADY
Regular, even, and continuous in development,
frequency, or intensity. We are consistent in the
quality and quantity of content. Our news and
information is credible, sustainable and reliable.

SOLID
Strongly built or made of strong
materials. We are a foundation for our
customers. We are a stable rock for
them to stand upon and share their
passion for their teams. Our integrity
and passion are evident in every effort.

The HERO Identity

Weve created a complete set of design guidelines to
ensure consistency over just about every instance of
contact. The core design elements are the essential
visual elements of our brand our logo, color palette,
typography, imagery, and graphics.

THE LOGO
The horizontal logo is preferred; use it whenever
possible. Dont separate or rearrange the logotype
and symbol.

The logo reproduces well at almost any size. Going

too small, however, can damage the logos integrity
and effectiveness. Never reproduce the logo/ tagline
lockup smaller than .5" in height, measured from the
top of far most tip of the Winged H to its foot.

.5

However the Winged H can be used alone on

certain occasions.

Clear Space
Maintain clear space around the logo to protect the
logo from distracting graphics or typography.
Measure clear space by the height of the space that
appears between the H and E letters in HERO for
vertical space, and the height of the space that
appears between the H and E for horizontal.
Never allow typography or other elements to invade
the logo.
Never redraw or alter the logo, including the placement
and size relationship of its letter or wing symbol.

Alternative Logo Use

If the logo is to appear on a white or light neutral
background, use the full color preferred format.
If the logo is to appear on a dark or near black
background use the inverse full color format.
Single-color iterations of the logo may be used when
appropriate.

The HERO Identity

HEROIC ORANGE
Orange is the color of adventure and social
communication. It radiates warmth and energy.
Orange relates to gut instincts and offers strength.
Psychological studies show that orange inspires
physical confidence, competition and independence.
Orange is authoritative.

PRIMARY COLOR

HIGHLIGHT COLORS
Use highlight colors in combination with our core
colors. These colors add depth, but use them
sparingly.

HIGHLIGHT COLORS

COLOR BALANCE & RATIO

Use our core colors for a consistent platform that
allows other design elements. Use the chart to guide
you in balancing core and highlight colors in HERO
Sports branded materials. Color ratio depends on
the individual application.

Heroic

#EA5607

r:234

g:86

b: 7

Obsidian

#323232

r:64

g:64

b:64

White

#FFFFFF

r:255

g:255

b:255

Odds

#EBEBEB

r:235

g:235

b:235

TEXT & ACCENTS

Aqua, Man

#1D858C

r:29

g:133

b:140

Dehydrated

#E4A52D

r:228

g:165

b:45

Venom

#7DAF3B

r:125

g:175

b:59

T-Rex

#862129

r:134

g:33

b:41

Typography
Helvetica Neue is our primary typeface used in all
communication materials.
- Helvetica Neue gives HERO Sports a fun and
lighthearted feel while implying stability and
structure.
- Use type size and weight to establish a clear
hierarchy of information.
- Calibri may be substituted when Helvetica Neue is
not available.
- Official branded collateral being distributed
publically must use Helvetica Neue.
Please adhere closely to these guidelines when using
the Helvetica Neue typeface.
Note: Some natural distortion of type is inevitable
when used in a photo or illustration. All the same,
please maintain the overall integrity of the typeface.

Official Branded Collateral

Headings
Museo Slab 900
Body
Helvetica Neue
When Museo Slab is not available
Headings
Helvetica Neue Bold
Body
Helvetica Neue
Dos and Donts of typeface usage:
- Do use a combination of uppercase and
lowercase
- Do use only approved colors
- Do use only the approved typefaces
- Do align text in body copy flush left and
ragged right
- Do avoid using all uppercase
- Dont place type in a hard-to-read format
- Dont use special effects to emphasize type
- Dont change kerning when setting
headlines or copy
- Dont distort the typefaces
- Dont substitute other typefaces unless
youre using

abcdefghijklmnop
qrstuvwxyz
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOP
QRSTUVWXYZ
1234567890!?
abcdefghijklmnop
qrstuvwxyz
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOP
QRSTUVWXYZ
123456790?!
abcdefghijklmnop
qrstuvwxyz
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOP
QRSTUVWXYZ
123456790?!

Tone & Voice

Through the language we use, our tone, and our
voice, the world experiences our brand.
When communicating in HERO Sports Voice, be
sure to incorporate our brand attributes into the
writing style. All communications should exhibit
elements of being scrappy, witty, advocating, steady
and solid.
These criteria are basic to good copywriting in
general, but need to be listed here to ensure that
theyre implemented into any piece written in HERO
Sports style. These key criteria, if used consistently,
set our voice apart from the rest.
Use a strong call to action.
Use active verbs, but dont be overly demanding.
Use first person instead of third.
Say We love sports, instead of HERO Sports
loves sports.

Dont shout.
We dont shout at our customers in
person, so why do it in writing?
Be conversational.
A conversational tone sets us apart
from other news sites. We often speak
in fragments, so its fine to use them in
your writing. Use personal pronouns
(i.e., we, you, our, your).
Use a gender-neutral voice.
Read the message in your head with a
female voice and then with a male
voice. Were a company of both
genders. Our voice should reflect that.
Use contractions.
Make your copy sound more like how
real people speak.

Use short sentences.

A staccato rhythm interspersed with
longer (not run-on) sentences keeps an
audiences interest. Again: Headlines
will often be an exception, especially
when adding you, your, our, we, etc. to
make them more conversational.
Avoid Marketingese in your copy.
Read your copy out loud to yourself and
ask, Would someone actually say
this?
Use periods instead of commas for a
series or sentence list.
Make sentences more easily digestible
by using periods instead of commas.

HERO Sports in Text

When writing HERO Sports in any written
correspondence or document the format should
always adhere to the following:
The word hero should appear in bold font and in all
caps: HERO
The word sport should appear in bold with only a
capital s: Sports
The first reference to HERO Sports in any document
should be followed by the trademark symbol :
HERO Sports

Imagery & Video

When selecting or producing images, be sure to:
- Natural; not posed or stylized
- High quality
- Showing positive emotional benefits
- Supporting the key personality traits of the
brand: scrappy, witty, advocating, steady,
and solid
- Activity-focused. Avoid static poses.
- Whenever possible, individuals should be
outfitted in articles of clothing that both
reflect the brand attributes and incorporate
the color palette
- Avoid heavy shadows by using a reflector or
on-camera light.
- Image and videos should be featured in tight
angle shots. We want to see their eyes.

Additional considerations for video:

- When conducting interviews, have the subject
maintian eye contact with interviewer and not
camera. Place the camera near the interviewer
so that subjects eyes are both featured.
- Position subject with enough distance from
background to create a depth of field.
- Please refrain from the use of color filters and
special effects.
- When shooting video, audio quality should
remain a top priority. Never use the cameras
in-camera mic. Must use external microphone
ensure the highest sound quality.
- Video submissions are encouraged to remain
between 60 and 90 seconds in duration.

Imagery & Video

Even in tough lighting conditions, and without the most beautiful backdrop, it's possible to get
good shots worthy of being featured. Here are a few tips and tricks for framing your shots.

If you are interviewing someone,

have them look at you when they
answer your questions, rather than
into the camera. Frame them tightly,
and make sure that they are in
focus. We want to keep the focus on
the great answers you're receiving,
rather than on the background - so
when possible, keep your interview
subject far away from the
background.

One tough issue in sports is that

your interviewees are commonly
wearing hats. If you must interview
someone with a hat, make sure that
they lift it enough so that you can
still see their eyes. Again, frame
them tightly, and allow the
background to blur. This is a great
style for on the field style interviews.

When a student athlete is hosting a

feature that you produce, eg, "I'm
Jake from the U of I soccer team
and I this is my college town", then
they can look into the camera and
speak directly to their viewers. Use
your journalistic skills to tell you
when it makes sense to have the
speaker look at the camera versus
off camera/at the interviewer.

This shot might not get to be used

b/c of the downlight shadow.
Always remember to make sure
that you get both of your subject's
eyes. In quick interviews, this can
be tough, but it will be worth it to
you to take an extra moment in
order to frame your subject well!

Updated 24 June 2015