Official Websites
Brand Guidelines
2016
Brand Summary
Mission
- CNN is the essential home for breaking news and the only source for transformative storytelling that informs, inspires, and provokes a deeper understanding of our world [^1].
Core Values
- important
- vital
- provocative
- smart
- engaging
- trusted
- authentic
- credible
Target Audience
- Viewers seeking breaking news, transformative storytelling, and a deeper understanding of the world [^2].
Personality Traits
- essential
- provocative
- smart
- engaging
- trusted
- authentic
- credible
Visual Identity Overview
- The visual identity centers on a bold, stylized CNN logo with a red, black, and white color palette. The logo is used in various applications with strict guidelines for spacing, sizing, and clear space. The design emphasizes clarity, contrast, and simplicity, with a modern and recognizable look [^3].
Categories
Brand Values
- CNN is the essential home for breaking news and the only source for transformative storytelling that informs, inspires, and provokes a deeper understanding of our world.
- ESSENTIAL
- IMPORTANT / VITAL PROVOCATIVE
- SMART / ENGAGING TRUSTED
- AUTHENTIC / CREDIBLE
- GO THERE
- From the ends of the earth to the heart of the story, from the news down the street to the questions no-one else is asking, CNN has always gone where no-one else does.
- Today CNN drives that spirit forward by inviting its viewers to go to unknown places, encounter a wider range of powerful personalities, and experience stories like never before.
Logo Usage
- The logo system has been designed with two distinct identities: the hero CNN Logo Badge that serves as the standard for the brand, and the historic Core CNN Logo that represents the traditional core of the CNN brand. Each has multiple options for execution and usage.
- The CNN Logo Badge is the primary logo mark, which should be used almost all of the time from on-air, print and digital instances to collateral such as signage, business cards and letterhead.
- The Free Floating CNN Logo is the secondary logo mark, which is the historic mark that will be used sparingly within the landscape, and reserved for special environmental instances that are based on necessary approvals.
- The Primary Logo System consists of three color iterations of the CNN Logo Badge: Pulse Red, black and white (knocked out.) Both a large application and small (under 0.5 inch or 36 pixels) application are provided for each of the CNN Logo Badges.
- The ratio between the logo form weight (called here āXā) and the piping weight (called here āYā) is 6 to 1. The ratio between the letter space (called here āZā) to the weight of the piping (Y) is same space as 7:1 piping ratio of the free floating logo.
- PIPING RATIO X : Y = 6 : 1
- SPACING RATIO (BETWEEN C and N) same space as 7:1 piping ratio of the free floating logo
- *THIS LOGO IS ONLY FOR 0.5 inch (36 px) OR SMALLER
- The ratio between the logo form weight (called here āXā) and the piping weight (called here āYā) is 5 to 1. The ratio between the letter space (called here āZā) to the weight of the piping (Y) is 1.75 to 1.
- PIPING RATIO X : Y = 5 : 1
- SPACING RATIO (BETWEEN C and N) Z : Y = 1.75 : 1
- Logo safe area is based on the weight (X) of CNN logo letter form. All logos have a logo safe area (X) around them that any text, photos or other graphic elements should never encroach.
- Non-registered trademark logo is for the on-air and digital environment.
- The logo with registered trademark is for the print & OOH (Out of Home) environment.
- The registered trademark is located at 1/5 of the CNN logo width to the right bottom of the CNN logo badge. The size is 1/2 of the CNN logo width.
- STRETCH OR DISTORT THE LOGO.
- CROP THE LOGO.
- ADD OTHER DESIGN ELEMENTS TO THE LOGO. (E.g. Outlines, Strokes, Or Dropshadow)
- FILL WITH IMAGES, GRADIENTS OR UNAPPROVED COLORS.
- SCALE SMALLER THAN 0.5 INCH (36PX). (Use small scale logo when it’s smaller than 0.5 inch or 36px.)
Color Palette
- The Primary Logo System consists of three color iterations of the CNN Logo Badge: Pulse Red, black and white (knocked out.) Both a large application and small (under 0.5 inch or 36 pixels) application are provided for each of the CNN Logo Badges.
- RED: RGB 204 / 0 / 0, CMYK 13 / 100 / 100 / 5, PANTONE 186 C, HEX CC0000
- BLACK: RGB 0 / 0 / 0, CMYK 0 / 0 / 0 / 100, PANTONE BLACK C, HEX 000000
- WHITE: RGB 255 / 255 / 255, CMYK 0 / 0 / 0 / 0, PANTONE WHITE, HEX FFFFFF
- DARK GREY: RGB 40 / 40 / 40, CMYK 71 / 65 / 64 / 68, PANTONE 419 C, HEX 282828
- LIGHT GREY: RGB 70 / 70 / 70, CMYK 67 / 60 / 58 / 42, PANTONE 446 C, HEX 464646
- FILL WITH IMAGES, GRADIENTS OR UNAPPROVED COLORS.
Visual Style
- The logo system has been designed with two distinct identities: the hero CNN Logo Badge that serves as the standard for the brand, and the historic Core CNN Logo that represents the traditional core of the CNN brand. Each has multiple options for execution and usage.
- The CNN Logo Badge is the primary logo mark, which should be used almost all of the time from on-air, print and digital instances to collateral such as signage, business cards and letterhead.
- The Free Floating CNN Logo is the secondary logo mark, which is the historic mark that will be used sparingly within the landscape, and reserved for special environmental instances that are based on necessary approvals.
- The Primary Logo System consists of three color iterations of the CNN Logo Badge: Pulse Red, black and white (knocked out.) Both a large application and small (under 0.5 inch or 36 pixels) application are provided for each of the CNN Logo Badges.
- LOGO BADGE FOR LARGE APPLICATION The ratio between the logo form weight (called here āXā) and the piping weight (called here āYā) is 6 to 1. The ratio between the letter space (called here āZā) to the weight of the piping (Y) is same space as 7:1 piping ratio of the free floating logo.
- PIPING RATIO X : Y = 6 : 1
- SPACING RATIO (BETWEEN C and N) same space as 7:1 piping ratio of the free floating logo
- LOGO BADGE FOR SMALL APPLICATION The ratio between the logo form weight (called here āXā) and the piping weight (called here āYā) is 5 to 1. The ratio between the letter space (called here āZā) to the weight of the piping (Y) is 1.75 to 1.
- PIPING RATIO X : Y = 5 : 1
- SPACING RATIO (BETWEEN C and N) Z : Y = 1.75 : 1
Layout And Composition
- The ratio between the logo form weight (called here āXā) and the piping weight (called here āYā) is 6 to 1. The ratio between the letter space (called here āZā) to the weight of the piping (Y) is same space as 7:1 piping ratio of the free floating logo.
- PIPING RATIO X : Y = 6 : 1
- SPACING RATIO (BETWEEN C and N) same space as 7:1 piping ratio of the free floating logo
- The ratio between the logo form weight (called here āXā) and the piping weight (called here āYā) is 5 to 1. The ratio between the letter space (called here āZā) to the weight of the piping (Y) is 1.75 to 1.
- PIPING RATIO X : Y = 5 : 1
- SPACING RATIO (BETWEEN C and N) Z : Y = 1.75 : 1
Typography