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Storyblocks

Brand Guidelines

Brand

Guidelines

June 2017

Storyblocks Brand Guidelines

Introduction | Table of Contents

Introduction

Welcome to the Storyblocks brand. Kick up your

feet and stay awhile. Inside these guidelines

you’ll ﬁnd a creative toolkit with everything you’ll

need to put Storyblocks into action. There’s

our strategy and positioning, key messaging

and a detailed visual identity system.

You’ll also discover our company logo – which

we could rhapsodize about for hours – and

a collection of colors and typefaces that help

you create a consistent and stylish look for

all our brand communication.

Before you check out the whole package, just

keep in mind that the trick with building a brand

is consistency. We repeat, consistency. When

you bring all these elements together correctly,

our brand will shine and people will know us far

and wide. Now, let’s get started.

Last note – for questions about how to use

these guidelines or to have the Brand Team

review your communications, please contact

your Brand Team a brand@videoblocks.com.

Table of Contents

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Strategy and Messaging

Brand Narrative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Brand Voice Style and Tone . . . . . . . . .4

Visual Elements

Logo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Typography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

“S” Mark with Imagery . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Visual Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Contact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Storyblocks Brand Guidelines

Brand Strategy and Messaging | Brand Narrative

Pillars

High Value Content

This is your spark generator – HD and 4K video, photo images, motion graphics, digital music and special

efects. There’s no download cap so the ideas never stop. Our Marketplace is a separate resource that connects

people directly to unique artists around the globe. Members buy direct and artists receive 100% of the sale

price. That’s content, fair and Storyblock square.

Accessible

Boom went the barriers. This is a content playground ﬁlled with royalty free digital assets that everyone can

aford. There’s intuitive search, instant access and a user-friendly platform that makes building a great story

quick, simple and empowering. It’s like a stick of dynamite that takes out all the creative roadblocks.

Elevated Digital Storytelling

Vision and tight budget, new best friends. We bring you the latest HD, 4K and VR content, graphics, digital music

and efects. There’s no extra cost to experimenting with new ideas and assets. There’s also curated content

for your inspiration and a tech platform designed for the modern digital storyteller to run conceptually wild.

By Creatives, for Creatives

Everything we do revolves around your ideas, projects and creations. Think of us as your edit bay, recording

studio, video lab and inspiration house. There are smart tutorials and trend insights. We’re also transparent

about prices – and when members buy digital assets from our Marketplace, the artists receive 100% of the

sale proceeds.

Narrative

Uncaged Creativity

We’re here to shake up the high-priced world of stock.

Storyblocks is a smarter way for you to ﬁnd the perfect

digital assets for a fraction of the usual cost. This makes

us the ﬁrst place digital storytellers go to start projects,

gain inspiration and raise the creative bar.

Our membership-based subscription model and intuitive

platform both simpliﬁes and accelerates the creative

process. There’s no sticker shock, no shopping carts and

no check out hassles. By knocking down these barriers,

we clear the way for you to expand your imagination

and tell more compelling stories.

Your membership gives you everything you need to put

your vision into action – HD and 4K video, riveting

photography, motion graphics, music and special efects.

There’s one low annual subscription and no cap on

downloads. That’s endless freedom to explore ideas and

take projects to the highest level of creativity and polish.

When you want to make your work even more distinctive

and unique, we have the Marketplace. It’s your way

to connect directly with artists around the globe. There

are millions of amazing digital assets that you can purchase

– and we give 100% of sales directly to the artists.

Storyblocks was designed by creative people for creative

people. That means transparent pricing, a vibrant new

community of artists and the reinvention of digital stock.

We’re Robin Hood and his merry band of Disrupters

and you’re invited to join the insurrection. Bring your

best story.

Storyblocks Brand Guidelines

Voice Direction and Principles

Here’s the most important advice about writing in the Storyblock style and tone of voice: Relax, you already know how to do this. Just keep our strategy and positioning

in mind, take a close look at these directional guidelines and don’t be afraid to express yourself. (People respond to messages that sound like they’re written by real people,

not robots.)

1. We’re casual

We’re informal, friendly and down-to-earth. When

we communicate, we keep the language straightforward

so everybody feels welcome. No buzz words,

no industry jargon or fancy pants vocabulary words.

Example: Creative vision and tight budget.

New best friends.

2. We’re aspirational

We’re optimists by nature and we always keep

the attitude positive. This means when we write,

we tend to celebrate people’s ideas, projects and

storytelling talents. There’s nothing wrong with

a little ﬂattery, right?

Example: You’re a kid in a digital stock

candy store.

3. We’re to the point

Digital storytellers are busy people on a fast

approaching deadline. So we keep what we write

short and tight. Our sentences are compact and

punchy and get right to the point. Otherwise, really,

what’s the point?

Example: We’re for artists, exactly 100%.

4. We’re playful

We think a sense of humor is part of what makes

Storyblocks rock. While we’re serious and passionate

about what we do, we like to keep things light. So we

look for places to inject humor. It might be a headline

or the last line of copy. Don’t go crazy, avoid the snarky,

just go for the smile.

Example: More creative sparks, less

wet blankets.

5. We’re Robin Hoods

We’re ﬂipping the world of stock upside down. So on

occasion, we like a little pop of disruption. Make a bold

statement, give it a positive twist and remember – our

bright visual identity softens the attitude of the words.

Example: Burning down the house that

over-priced stock built.

6. We’re on message

We have a unique and powerful story to tell about

making terriﬁc media assets afordable for digital

storytellers everywhere. Look for fresh ways

to continually reinforce that message. The trick

is to be creative, not repetitive. Word twists and

analogies are a great way to go.

Example: We’re the gourmet food truck

of digital assets.

A ﬁnal word on words

There’s a time and place for brand voice. We put

personality into our headlines and social media

communication. Subheads and copy should be more

functional and focused on beneﬁts. We like the last

line of a paragraph to be more playful or empathetic.

Try to strike that nice balance between professional

and friend.

Brand Strategy and Messaging | Brand Voice Style and Tone

Storyblocks Brand Guidelines

Full-color positive horizontal and vertical logos use only on white, full-color symbol may be on white or black

Visual Elements | Logo

Logo

Every part of each Storyblocks logo has been carefully

designed – from color to the letterform, size and spacing.

Only the approved digital ﬁles should be used to reproduce

the logos. The basic rules on the following pages will

help you use our logo in the best, most consistent way

and uphold the quality of Storyblocks communications.

The Storyblocks logos exist in a ﬁxed relationship and

should only appear in their lock-ups. Do not alter the

size or placement of logo elements.

Logo Variations

We have developed a number of logo variations that

meet both the creative and practical needs of our

communications. This family of logos ensures that we

can always create the best expression of our brand.

Color printing may not always be available or suitable

for all printed communications. 1-color logos are

available and may be used when cost or reproduction

requirements prevent the use of the full-color logos.

The full-color positive logo should be used on a white

background; the full-color reversed logo should be used

on black backgrounds. When creating communications

that use other colors in our color palette or on images,

use the 1-color positive or reverse logo, making

sure there is plenty of contrast between the logo

and background.

Full-color reversed horizontal and vertical logos use only on black, full-color symbol may be on white or black

1-color black horizontal and vertical logos and symbol used only on SB Yellow

Storyblocks Brand Guidelines

Visual Elements | Logo

Sub-Brand Variations

We have also developed suites for our various sub-

brands. These logos are available as full-color positive

logos to use on white and 1-color reversed to use with

their unique color systems. We use red for Videoblocks,

green for Audioblocks and blue for Graphicstock. Each

color should only be used for its speciﬁed sub-brand.

See Color for color value information and Visual Examples

to see how these logos may be used.

Full-color sub-brand logos should appear on white,

while 1-color reversed sub-brand logos should appear

on their speciﬁed background color.

When discussing the sub-brands, use “‘sub-brand’ by

Storyblocks”. This recommended co-branding description

promotes the nature of each sub-brand to be part of the

larger brand, Storyblocks. For example, “Videoblocks

by Storyblocks” or “Graphicstock by Storyblocks”. This

allows us to grow the brand into a cohesive group.

½ x

⅛ x

Print minimum: .875"

Digital minimum: 180 pixels

Print minimum: .607"

Digital minimum: 125 pixels

Print minimum: .25"

Digital minimum: 32 pixels

Storyblocks Brand Guidelines

Visual Elements | Logo

Clear Space

It is important to maintain a minimum amount of space

between each logo and other text and graphics to ensure

the logo’s visibility and impact. Give the logo some room

to breathe. The clear space (1/2 x) is deﬁned as the 1/2 the

diameter of the circle in the symbol. Always maintain

a clear space equal to or greater than 1/2 x around each

logo and the symbol. When using the symbol for app

icons or as a favicon, a smaller clear space of 1/8th the

diameter of the symbol may be used.

Minimum Size

In order to ensure proper representation of our brand,

the Storyblocks logos must always be clear, visible and

legible. Diferent reproduction techniques can yield

diferent output, so use good judgment when sizing the

logo. Avoid compromising the legibility and overall

quality of the Storyblocks logos by adhering to minimum

size requirements.

Minimum sizes for the horizontal logos are .875" for print

and 180 pixels for digital uses. For the vertical logos,

.607" for print and 125 pixels for digital. And for the symbol,

.25" for print and 32 pixels for digital.

All sub-brand logos follow the same clear space and

minimum size speciﬁcations. If a variance in either is

needed, please submit pre-production artwork for brand

approval your Brand Team at brand@videoblocks.com.

Note: As screen deﬁnition will vary according to the settings

used, the digital minimum evaluations were made at a screen

setting of 1440p / 2560 x 1440, with the ﬁles saved at 72 DPI.

Storyblocks

Storyblocks Brand Guidelines

Do not alter or rearrange the elements of the logo

Visual Elements | Logo

Use Violations

Do not alter or recreate the Storyblocks logos in any

way as you may dilute the integrity of the brand. We all

must use the same logos in the same way to assure

a consistent and high quality brand presentation.

Do not use a diferent typeface

Do not add efects

Do not set at an angle

Do not distort or warp

Do not use in a containing shape

Do not use any other colors in the logo

Do not use on a color background other than those

speciﬁed in this document

SB Red

PANTONE 485

CMYK: 0, 100, 95, 0

RGB: 229, 62, 48

HEX: #E53E30

SB Green

PANTONE 3395

CMYK: 75, 0, 67, 0

RGB: 0, 177, 108

HEX: #00B16C

SB Blue

PANTONE 2191

CMYK: 80, 0, 15, 0

RGB: 19, 143, 213

HEX: #138FD5

Corporate Color Palette

SB Yellow

PANTONE 107

CMYK: 0, 3, 100, 0

RGB: 255, 225, 33

HEX: #FFE121

Black

CMYK: 0, 0, 0, 100

RGB: 0, 0, 0

HEX: #000000

White

CMYK: 0, 0, 0, 0

RGB: 255, 255, 255

HEX: #FFFFFF

Sub-Brand Color Palette

Storyblocks Brand Guidelines

Color Palettes

Color is an essential part of any brand, and the

Storyblocks brand is no diferent. We want to own the

use of certain colors in the communications we create.

We have a range of colors that can be used online

or in print to create diferent expressions of our brand.

Corporate Color Palette

We have selected yellow as a corporate color because

it captures our playfulness and truly stands out from

the crowd.

Sub-Brand Color Palette

Our sub-brands have their own colors to play with.

We use red for Videoblocks, green for Audioblocks and

blue for Graphicstock. Each color should only be used

for its speciﬁed sub-brand.

When specifying color for production, refer to the

speciﬁcations provided, rather than printouts, for color

matching. For commercial printing, Pantone® (PMS)

inks are recommended. For 4-color process printing,

use the speciﬁed CMYK color values. And for screen

and web design, use the RGB or HTML color models.

Please submit pieces that use accent colors to your

Brand Team at brand@videoblocks.com for approval.

Visual Elements | Color

Archer

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P

Q R S T U V W X Y Z a b c d e f g

h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z 1

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ` - = [ ] \ ; ’ , . / ~ !

@ # $ % ^ & * ( ) _ + : ” { } | < > ?

Archer Bold / Bold Italic – The quick brown fox jumps

over the lazy dog.

Archer Semibold / Semibold Italic – The quick brown fox

jumps over the lazy dog.

Archer Medium / Medium Italic – The quick brown fox

jumps over the lazy dog.

Archer Book / Book Italic – The quick brown fox jumps

over the lazy dog.

Archer Light / Light Italic – The quick brown fox jumps

over the lazy dog.

Proxima Nova

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P

Q R S T U V W X Y Z a b c d e f g

h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z 1

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ` - = [ ] \ ; ’ , . / ~ !

@ # $ % ^ & * ( ) _ + : ” { } | < > ?

Proxima Nova Bold / Bold Italic – The quick brown fox

jumps over the lazy dog.

Proxima Nova Semibold / Semibold Italic – The quick

brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

Proxima Nova Medium / Medium Italic – The quick brown

fox jumps over the lazy dog.

Proxima Nova Regular / Regular Italic – The quick brown

fox jumps over the lazy dog.

Proxima Nova Light / Light Italic – The quick brown fox

jumps over the lazy dog.

Storyblocks

Geometric O is circular rather than

elliptical, and uses an unmodulated

(more even) stroke.

Archer’s use of ball terminals (rounded

ending of strokes) and ﬁnials (sharper

ending of strokes) matches up with the

shapes of the logomark to compliment

each other.

Archer from H&FJ is perhaps one

of the best slab serifs for setting

extended text. It comes in numerous

weights, has an excellent italic

accompaniment. The heavier weights

and caps work beautifully for display.

Storyblocks Brand Guidelines

Fonts

Fonts — and how we use them — make a visual impact

just like the Storyblocks logos and color palette do. Use

these fonts when creating Storyblocks communications

to maintain visual brand consistency.

Primary Font

Archer is a serif font that is strong, clean, simple and

readable. It can efectively be used in headlines,

subheads and small areas of body copy when you want

emphasis, such as a pull quote.

Secondary Font

Proxima Nova is a clean, modern, simple sans serif

typeface that is highly readable and is therefore the

preferred font for body copy in Storyblocks

communications.

If you need access to these fonts, please contact your

Brand Team at brand@videoblocks.com .

System Fonts

For other applications such as presentations, word

processing and web-based communications (when

Archer or Proxima Nova are unavailable), use Arial.

It is a standard font widely available cross-platform.

In instances where Archer or Proxima Nova are

unavailable, Arial may be used for internal-facing

communications. However, advertising and marketing

communications must always use Archer and

Proxima Nova.

Visual Elements | Fonts