Drake University

Official Websites

• https://www.drake.edu
• https://godrakebulldogs.com
• http://www.drake.edu

Brand Guidelines

2020

Brand Summary

Mission

• To provide an education that lasts a lifetime, propelling individuals forward and outward from the moment they encounter Drake and throughout their lives. Drake is a catalyst for personal and professional growth, preparing students to navigate life’s challenges with resilience and ambition [^1].

Core Values

• Resilience
• Guidance that supports and challenges
• Engagement
• Open-mindedness
• Respect
• Civility
• Self-awareness
• Community connection

Target Audience

• Prospective and current students, parents, faculty, staff, alumni, supporters, donors, employers, and citizens of Des Moines and beyond. The brand addresses each group with tailored messaging, emphasizing preparation for life, community engagement, and professional readiness [^2].

Personality Traits

• Confident
• Invested
• Audacious
• Versatile
• Magnetic
• Vibrant
• Curious

Visual Identity Overview

• The visual identity is energetic, youthful, and dynamic, featuring a modular system of graphic elements, bold color blocks, ample white space, layering, and a loose layout grid. The brand uses two primary typefaces (Harfang and Proxima Nova), a distinctive blue color palette, and consistent logo usage. Photography emphasizes authentic moments, strength, joy, and candid connections, while iconography favors flat, monoline illustrations [^3].

Categories

Brand Voice

• How we speak to our audience is just as important as what we say. Brand voice—the tone and personality of all our copy—is often an overlooked element of the branding. Done well, it can help Drake stand out from the competition.
• Our brand voice is: Active Spirited and confident, but never boastful Genuine and relatable, not stuffy or jargon-heavy Knowledgeable, recognizing that learning never stops and eager for what’s next Conversational, as if we’re having coffee with our audience
• Headlines should be short, be direct and deliver clear benefits (brand messages). Focus on what’s in it for your reader.
• For headlines that are single sentences or sentence fragments, only use punctuation if framed as a question. For multi-sentence headlines, use normal punctuation.
• The body copy is where the brand voice fully comes to life. Here we can tell the story of confidence and readiness in a conversational way.
• Words like “resilient,” “education for a lifetime,” and “enduring” help drive home the Drake difference while staying grounded with clear, matter-of-fact language and, when possible, real stories.
• Write body copy in the way that you’d speak to your audience face-to-face. That helps to weed out jargon.
• Avoid using “me”, “we”, and “us”. Use “you” often. Copy should convey benefits for the reader first and foremost. Example: “At Drake, you’ll get an education that lasts a lifetime” instead of “Drake offers an education that will last a lifetime.”

Brand Imagery

• The Drake photography and video style should capture authentic moments and personalities and take advantage of natural light whenever possible. Subjects can be photographed in staged or candid settings but should never feel posed or contrived. Use the following styles to further guide Drake-branded photography.
• This portraiture style features single subjects embodying strength, determination, and confidence. They should feel alert, proud, and tall but also relatable. As often as possible, subjects should be standing or sitting straight with captivating eye contact or facing forward, eyes looking ahead, ready for what comes their way.
• This photography style celebrates just that—preparing you for the unpredictability of life. What makes this style unique is its portrayal of students out of the classroom and off-campus, out in the world in settings that may or may not be recognizable. Whether it’s the downtown streets of Des Moines or far-off lands outside the United States, this photography style highlights the resilience of a Drake education in the presence of life’s winding road.
• This portraiture style is defined by pure, in-the-moment happiness no matter who or what is around you. Capturing laughter, smiles, and intimate moments of energy and motion are key to elevating the fun and energy in these portraits.
• This photography style is intended to capture groups of people that are spirited and lively, interacting with each other and their surroundings. This style is most successful when people are comfortable—emotionally and physically close, reinforced with authentic physical contact and candid emotions.
• Limiting Griff’s appearances helps present a balanced image of the university and also keeps him special. Be mindful of the context in which Griff is placed. His classic “resting bulldog face,” can sometimes be misinterpreted as sad or grumpy. For this reason, Griff is best used in lighthearted, informal communications.
• Griff’s image cannot be used on merchandise without permission. See p. 15 for more details. Consider using the bulldog illustration on p. 21 as a way to add a touch of Griff to your designs instead of using a photo.
• Make Drake stand out from the traditional, dry, expected campus landscape photos by incorporating dramatic lighting, energetic composition, and unique architectural quirks to present a beautiful, forward-thinking hub of academic achievement.
• Don’t be afraid to choose style over traditional campus landmarks. Of course, many projects will require the classic bell tower landscape, but focusing on the little things will showcase what really makes Drake special and inject energy into your design.
• Use photography to break misconceptions by showing the real Des Moines, a thriving metropolis full of things to do, cool shops, concerts, and opportunities for professional growth. Prioritize photos of Drake students engaging with the city in ways that will resonate with their peers over simple cityscape imagery.

Color Palette

• The primary color palette is made up of two shades of blue­Drake Blue and Light Blue. These hues are central to the Drake brand and should be prevalent in everything created for Drake. Leading the way is Drake Blue, which is distinguished and collegiate and speaks to the tradition of Drake, while Light Blue is bright, youthful, and friendly.
• The secondary color pallet is made up of complementary colors to the blues of the primary palette and should be treated as an accent. Yellow, orange, and red are radiant and bold and infuse designs with impact and energy.
• Note: The height of these color swatches in relation to each other offers a rough indication of how much each color should be used throughout the Drake brand.
• In print applications, the layering of some graphic elements in the Drake brand style may require the use of a rich (4-color) black build. Use this in place of 1 00K black in areas where the black is printed across two contrasting colors (fig. A). Rich black will provide adequate coverage, whereas 1 00K black can appear lighter on one of the overprinted colors.
• This technique is most important for display-size text and graphic elements. Using rich black for small body copy is not recommended because it offers little visible improvement and can make correct ink registration more difficult.
• This consideration applies only to print; rich black is not necessary in digital applications.
• Electrify areas of white with bold blocks of color from the Drake color palette (see page 11). This technique is striking and confident and allows our bold color palette to shine while also creating a dynamic interaction with other elements such as photography and type.
• Make text and rule Drake blue by going to “text color” and selecting RGB sliders. Plug in R:0 G:75 B:150. (If only hex color is available, use #003B73)

Typography

• The Drake brand uses two complementary typefaces, a primary typeface and a secondary typeface. Typical projects will use both styles together at a ratio of roughly 70/30, but this ratio varies depending on the situation.
• Harfang is the primary typeface for the Drake brand. It feels traditional and academic in nature, but has a modern edge. It is easy to read at small and large sizes, and its angular serifs speak to strong character, especially when rendered at large display sizes.
• At any size, as body copy or display type, the primary font weight should be Harfang–Light. Heavier weights may be used occasionally for emphasis or to reinforce informational hierarchy, but should never be the main font weight.
• When used as a display type (e.g., as a headline or primary graphic element), right or left alignment is acceptable, and centered alignment is also allowed in limited circumstances. When used as body copy, text should always be left-aligned or justified.
• Harfang should never be set in all caps.
• Proxima Nova is used as a secondary typeface, providing a great complement and contrast to the serifs of Harfang. Proxima Nova is a versatile typeface, offering a range of weights that convey different tones depending on their use. Proxima Nova is simple and geometric, making it ideal for digital as well as print formats.
• Proxima Nova may be set in sentence case or all caps.
• If you do not have Harfang, you can use Source Serif Pro, which is a Google font that you can download for free.
• If you do not have Proxima Nova, you can use Work Sans, which is a Google font that you can download for free.
• Typography plays a key role in the execution of the Drake brand, so we want to make it work as hard as it can. Mixing typestyles and pushing text to the edge of the page or screen are effective ways to create energy and interest—the dissonance of this design tactic entices the audience to read the text carefully. It’s a technique that should be reserved for times when the type can be quite large and does not interfere with complex photography. Of course, be cognizant of legibility and ensure good contrast between type and background color or borders.
• Deliver headlines with an added punch by using brand colors for a stroke underline detail to lines of copy. The text underline style emphasizes and stylizes headlines and reflects a sense of layering, foundation, and building.
• The underline’s stroke thickness should be equal to the crossbar of an uppercase “A.” The underline should align flush left or right depending on the alignment of your text.
• Underlines should be offset from the baseline of the text just enough to clip the top of the descender serif on a lowercase “y.”
• Underlines should only be applied to text set in Harfang—never Proxima Nova.
• Be mindful of where this technique is used. It’s most appropriate for display-size text in print applications.
• Using an approved color to highlight copy in a block of text can draw extra attention to a statement or create impact at the beginning of a paragraph.
• The top edge of the highlight should intersect the vertex of the ascender serif on the lowercase “h” or “d.”
• The distance from the end of the text underline to the edge of a highlight should equal roughly half the width of a lowercase “o.”
• The distance from text underline to bottom edge of a highlight should equal roughly half the height of a lowercase “o.”
• Do not change the color of a text element mid-phrase in order to better match a desired highlight color.
• Highlight may be applied to both Harfang and Proxima Nova text.
• This technique is most effective when used sparingly.
• This chart outlines rules for highlighted text only. Some combinations discouraged here are acceptable for other design elements. Use best judgment based on color contrast and readability and to avoid confusion with competitive university brands.

Logo Usage

• Only use Drake logos in the ways described and illustrated in this document. Any other use or alteration without prior approval from the Drake University Office of Communications and Marketing is prohibited.
• To maintain the integrity of the logo, do not crowd it with other visual elements. Keep a minimum of clear space around the logo equal to the size of the “e” in the logo at the farthest edges of the logo.
• Leave clear space around the logo equal to the width and height of the “e” in “Drake.”
• The Drake logo can only appear in Drake Blue, black, or white. It should not be produced in any other color or in tints of approved colors. When placing the logo on a colored background, be sure there is a high contrast between the field of color and the logo. Pay special attention to readability and accessibility in every circumstance.
• Never apply a drop shadow to the Drake logo.
• Do not distort, rotate, or deconstruct any logo components.
• Do not add any elements to the logo not mentioned in this guide.
• The logo should never be outlined in a contrasting color or given a stroke with transparent fill.
• The “D” of the primary logo is sometimes used alone in situations where space or size limitations make the full logo cumbersome. Example: social media profile pictures. When used this way, the “D” should be the primary mark and represent the university as a whole. Best practice is to only use the singular “D” when “Drake University” is displayed nearby.
• The “D” should never be used as a design element (beyond use as a logo) and never be used in a word, as in “D"og. Contact the Drake University Office of Communications and Marketing with questions.
• Official university clubs in good standing may use the Drake logo in their communications and merchandise provided the use follows brand guidelines. If the merchandise will be sold, the logo use must be approved through the university’s licensing process. Any modifications or additions must first be submitted to the Drake University Office of Communications and Marketing at ucm@drake.edu.

Tone And Messaging

• For a Lifetime should be the bedrock of everything we communicate. It drives home the idea that a Drake education is different because it stays with you no matter where you go or what you do.
• Note: For a Lifetime should NOT be used as a tagline.
• Brand pillars support the overall brand messaging. All of these, taken together, support our positioning of For a Lifetime.
• Tone words are meant to be adapted to each audience. For example, consider turning up the “confident” and “vibrant” when you’re developing something for prospective students. By contrast, you may want to turn up the “invested” and “versatile” when speaking to donors.
• Several key qualities—tone words—embody the Drake University brand. While these words don’t need to be used verbatim, they should inspire the language and tone used to develop everything from social media posts and emails to employee communications and event promotions.
• Confident Invested Audacious Versatile Magnetic Vibrant Curious
• How we speak to our audience is just as important as what we say. Brand voice—the tone and personality of all our copy—is often an overlooked element of the branding. Done well, it can help Drake stand out from the competition.
• Our brand voice is: Active Spirited and confident, but never boastful Genuine and relatable, not stuffy or jargon-heavy Knowledgeable, recognizing that learning never stops and eager for what’s next Conversational, as if we’re having coffee with our audience
• Headlines should be short, be direct and deliver clear benefits (brand messages). Focus on what’s in it for your reader.
• For headlines that are single sentences or sentence fragments, only use punctuation if framed as a question. For multi-sentence headlines, use normal punctuation.
• The body copy is where the brand voice fully comes to life. Here we can tell the story of confidence and readiness in a conversational way.
• Words like “resilient,” “education for a lifetime,” and “enduring” help drive home the Drake difference while staying grounded with clear, matter-of-fact language and, when possible, real stories.
• Write body copy in the way that you’d speak to your audience face-to-face. That helps to weed out jargon.
• Avoid using “me”, “we”, and “us”. Use “you” often. Copy should convey benefits for the reader first and foremost. Example: “At Drake, you’ll get an education that lasts a lifetime” instead of “Drake offers an education that will last a lifetime.”

Brand Values

• For a Lifetime should be the bedrock of everything we communicate. It drives home the idea that a Drake education is different because it stays with you no matter where you go or what you do.
• Note: For a Lifetime should NOT be used as a tagline.
• This is not a typical university. It’s a catalyst that propels any individual forward and outward from the moment they encounter Drake and throughout their lives.
• Built on fundamental truths about Drake University, the brand promise and brand positioning provide a strategic foundation for our brand. All marketing and communications should reinforce the brand promise. The ultimate goal is that when anyone sees Drake’s branding, they are reminded of our brand promise.
• Brand pillars support the overall brand messaging. All of these, taken together, support our positioning of For a Lifetime.
• A Drake education is future-proof, preparing students for their first job and also every career move thereafter.
• At Drake, students are the number one priority. Period.
• Students move swiftly from academic work to career preparation, clubs and organizations, and community involvement. This insatiable desire to engage rounds us out as humans and is how we define fun.
• Drake helps people learn to confront new situations with open-mindedness, respect, civility, and self-awareness. Drake is positioned and prepared for today’s reality—a time when civil discourse is at risk, and society is more diverse and global than ever.
• Drake opens doors to networks and communities that help propel students toward their dreams. The relationships that the university has developed both locally and around the world are easily accessible to students, enabling them to pursue interests and passions. As a Drake alumnus, you become part of a network of professionals eager to help each other grow and succeed.
• Several key qualities—tone words—embody the Drake University brand. While these words don’t need to be used verbatim, they should inspire the language and tone used to develop everything from social media posts and emails to employee communications and event promotions. Tone words are meant to be adapted to each audience. For example, consider turning up the “confident” and “vibrant” when you’re developing something for prospective students. By contrast, you may want to turn up the “invested” and “versatile” when speaking to donors. # Confident Invested Audacious Versatile Magnetic Vibrant Curious

Visual Style

• Typography plays a key role in the execution of the Drake brand, so we want to make it work as hard as it can. Mixing typestyles and pushing text to the edge of the page or screen are effective ways to create energy and interest—the dissonance of this design tactic entices the audience to read the text carefully. It’s a technique that should be reserved for times when the type can be quite large and does not interfere with complex photography. Of course, be cognizant of legibility and ensure good contrast between type and background color or borders.
• Deliver headlines with an added punch by using brand colors for a stroke underline detail to lines of copy. The text underline style emphasizes and stylizes headlines and reflects a sense of layering, foundation, and building. The underline’s stroke thickness should be equal to the crossbar of an uppercase “A.” The underline should align flush left or right depending on the alignment of your text. Underlines should be offset from the baseline of the text just enough to clip the top of the descender serif on a lowercase “y.” Underlines should only be applied to text set in Harfang—never Proxima Nova. Be mindful of where this technique is used. It’s most appropriate for display-size text in print applications.
• Using an approved color to highlight copy in a block of text can draw extra attention to a statement or create impact at the beginning of a paragraph. This style alludes to using a highlighter to emphasize something in a college textbook. Follow these guidelines to ensure a consistent application of technique across the university: ■ The top edge of the highlight should intersect the vertex of the ascender serif on the lowercase “h” or “d.” ■ The distance from the end of the text underline to the edge of a highlight should equal roughly half the width of a lowercase “o.” ■ The distance from text underline to bottom edge of a highlight should equal roughly half the height of a lowercase “o.” Do not change the color of a text element mid-phrase in order to better match a desired highlight color. Highlight may be applied to both Harfang and Proxima Nova text. This technique is most effective when used sparingly.
• This chart outlines rules for highlighted text only. Some combinations discouraged here are acceptable for other design elements. Use best judgment based on color contrast and readability and to avoid confusion with competitive university brands.

Iconography

• Use iconography for infographic illustrations, to indicate the topic of a call-out section, or to generally reinforce the theme of a layout. Drake’s preferred icon style calls for flat, simple, monoline illustrations. The stroke weight should be moderate—not overly heavy, but not so insubstantial that the icon is hard to see. Several examples of the style are shown here.
• You may create your own illustrations as long as they remain within the approved style. A diverse library of premade monoline icons is also available as a font file on Lucid Press for general use. For more information on monoline icons, please contact the Drake University Office of Communications and Marketing at ucm@drake.edu.
• Do not use Isometric or 3D illustrations.

Layout And Composition

• Typography plays a key role in the execution of the Drake brand, so we want to make it work as hard as it can. Mixing typestyles and pushing text to the edge of the page or screen are effective ways to create energy and interest—the dissonance of this design tactic entices the audience to read the text carefully. It’s a technique that should be reserved for times when the type can be quite large and does not interfere with complex photography. Of course, be cognizant of legibility and ensure good contrast between type and background color or borders.
• Deliver headlines with an added punch by using brand colors for a stroke underline detail to lines of copy. The text underline style emphasizes and stylizes headlines and reflects a sense of layering, foundation, and building. The underline’s stroke thickness should be equal to the crossbar of an uppercase “A.” The underline should align flush left or right depending on the alignment of your text. Underlines should be offset from the baseline of the text just enough to clip the top of the descender serif on a lowercase “y.” Underlines should only be applied to text set in Harfang—never Proxima Nova. Be mindful of where this technique is used. It’s most appropriate for display-size text in print applications.
• Using an approved color to highlight copy in a block of text can draw extra attention to a statement or create impact at the beginning of a paragraph. This style alludes to using a highlighter to emphasize something in a college textbook. Follow these guidelines to ensure a consistent application of technique across the university: ■ The top edge of the highlight should intersect the vertex of the ascender serif on the lowercase “h” or “d.” ■ The distance from the end of the text underline to the edge of a highlight should equal roughly half the width of a lowercase “o.” ■ The distance from text underline to bottom edge of a highlight should equal roughly half the height of a lowercase “o.” Do not change the color of a text element mid-phrase in order to better match a desired highlight color. Highlight may be applied to both Harfang and Proxima Nova text. This technique is most effective when used sparingly.
• This chart outlines rules for highlighted text only. Some combinations discouraged here are acceptable for other design elements. Use best judgment based on color contrast and readability and to avoid confusion with competitive university brands.

Packaging Design

• Typography plays a key role in the execution of the Drake brand, so we want to make it work as hard as it can. Mixing typestyles and pushing text to the edge of the page or screen are effective ways to create energy and interest—the dissonance of this design tactic entices the audience to read the text carefully. It’s a technique that should be reserved for times when the type can be quite large and does not interfere with complex photography. Of course, be cognizant of legibility and ensure good contrast between type and background color or borders.
• Deliver headlines with an added punch by using brand colors for a stroke underline detail to lines of copy. The text underline style emphasizes and stylizes headlines and reflects a sense of layering, foundation, and building. The underline’s stroke thickness should be equal to the crossbar of an uppercase “A.” The underline should align flush left or right depending on the alignment of your text. Underlines should be offset from the baseline of the text just enough to clip the top of the descender serif on a lowercase “y.” Underlines should only be applied to text set in Harfang—never Proxima Nova. Be mindful of where this technique is used. It’s most appropriate for display-size text in print applications.
• Using an approved color to highlight copy in a block of text can draw extra attention to a statement or create impact at the beginning of a paragraph. This style alludes to using a highlighter to emphasize something in a college textbook. Follow these guidelines to ensure a consistent application of technique across the university: ■ The top edge of the highlight should intersect the vertex of the ascender serif on the lowercase “h” or “d.” ■ The distance from the end of the text underline to the edge of a highlight should equal roughly half the width of a lowercase “o.” ■ The distance from text underline to bottom edge of a highlight should equal roughly half the height of a lowercase “o.” Do not change the color of a text element mid-phrase in order to better match a desired highlight color. Highlight may be applied to both Harfang and Proxima Nova text. This technique is most effective when used sparingly.
• This chart outlines rules for highlighted text only. Some combinations discouraged here are acceptable for other design elements. Use best judgment based on color contrast and readability and to avoid confusion with competitive university brands.

Digital Guidelines

• Proxima Nova is simple and geometric, making it ideal for digital as well as print formats.
• Mixing typestyles and pushing text to the edge of the page or screen are effective ways to create energy and interest—the dissonance of this design tactic entices the audience to read the text carefully.
• Of course, be cognizant of legibility and ensure good contrast between type and background color or borders.
• The Drake brand stands out in its embrace of white space in digital and print communications. Ample white space feels elegant and minimalist, but whoever said that space needs to stay white? Electrify areas of white with bold blocks of color from the Drake color palette (see page 11). This technique is striking and confident and allows our bold color palette to shine while also creating a dynamic interaction with other elements such as photography and type.
• Deliver headlines with an added punch by using brand colors for a stroke underline detail to lines of copy. The text underline style emphasizes and stylizes headlines and reflects a sense of layering, foundation, and building.
• The underline’s stroke thickness should be equal to the crossbar of an uppercase “A.” The underline should align flush left or right depending on the alignment of your text.
• Underlines should be offset from the baseline of the text just enough to clip the top of the descender serif on a lowercase “y.”
• Underlines should only be applied to text set in Harfang—never Proxima Nova.
• Be mindful of where this technique is used. It’s most appropriate for display-size text in print applications.
• Using an approved color to highlight copy in a block of text can draw extra attention to a statement or create impact at the beginning of a paragraph.
• The top edge of the highlight should intersect the vertex of the ascender serif on the lowercase “h” or “d.”
• The distance from the end of the text underline to the edge of a highlight should equal roughly half the width of a lowercase “o.”
• The distance from text underline to bottom edge of a highlight should equal roughly half the height of a lowercase “o.”
• Do not change the color of a text element mid-phrase in order to better match a desired highlight color.
• Highlight may be applied to both Harfang and Proxima Nova text.
• This technique is most effective when used sparingly.
• This chart outlines rules for highlighted text only. Some combinations discouraged here are acceptable for other design elements. Use best judgment based on color contrast and readability and to avoid confusion with competitive university brands.

Print Guidelines

• Typography plays a key role in the execution of the Drake brand, so we want to make it work as hard as it can. Mixing typestyles and pushing text to the edge of the page or screen are effective ways to create energy and interest—the dissonance of this design tactic entices the audience to read the text carefully. It’s a technique that should be reserved for times when the type can be quite large and does not interfere with complex photography. Of course, be cognizant of legibility and ensure good contrast between type and background color or borders.
• Deliver headlines with an added punch by using brand colors for a stroke underline detail to lines of copy. The text underline style emphasizes and stylizes headlines and reflects a sense of layering, foundation, and building. The underline’s stroke thickness should be equal to the crossbar of an uppercase “A.” The underline should align flush left or right depending on the alignment of your text. Underlines should be offset from the baseline of the text just enough to clip the top of the descender serif on a lowercase “y.” Underlines should only be applied to text set in Harfang—never Proxima Nova. Be mindful of where this technique is used. It’s most appropriate for display-size text in print applications.
• Using an approved color to highlight copy in a block of text can draw extra attention to a statement or create impact at the beginning of a paragraph. This style alludes to using a highlighter to emphasize something in a college textbook. Follow these guidelines to ensure a consistent application of technique across the university: ■ The top edge of the highlight should intersect the vertex of the ascender serif on the lowercase “h” or “d.” ■ The distance from the end of the text underline to the edge of a highlight should equal roughly half the width of a lowercase “o.” ■ The distance from text underline to bottom edge of a highlight should equal roughly half the height of a lowercase “o.” Do not change the color of a text element mid-phrase in order to better match a desired highlight color. Highlight may be applied to both Harfang and Proxima Nova text. This technique is most effective when used sparingly.
• This chart outlines rules for highlighted text only. Some combinations discouraged here are acceptable for other design elements. Use best judgment based on color contrast and readability and to avoid confusion with competitive university brands.

Accessibility Guidelines

• Of course, be cognizant of legibility and ensure good contrast between type and background color or borders.
• When placing the logo on a colored background, be sure there is a high contrast between the field of color and the logo. Pay special attention to readability and accessibility in every circumstance.
• Use best judgment based on color contrast and readability and to avoid confusion with competitive university brands.

Additional Properties

Employees History

Total Assets History