Branding Guidelines

INTRODUCTION TO THIS GUIDE

The purpose of these brand guidelines is to document and explain the America Saves brand — the look, feel and voice that represent the personality of America Saves. This guide reflects standards and recommendations that will improve how the brand is expressed.

The purpose for having defined brand standards is to keep the brand consistent and unified across the entire organization. A strong, consistent brand catches the target audience’s eye quickly, and clearly communicates the core value of the organization. It expresses most quickly and effectively the identity of America Saves. The stronger the brand, and the more onsistently it is used, the more effective and efficient it will become.

The America Saves brand identity includes the logo, tagline, color palette, typography, photography and voice. These guidelines can be used to give communications the distinctive America Saves personality.

These guidelines will serve as the unifying structure for all of America Saves, including all sub-brands and initiatives like “America Saves,” “Youth Saves” and “Military Saves.”

1

INTRODUCTION TO THE BRAND

The brand represented in these guidelines provides America Saves with a unified look and feel that expresses the core value proposition of the organization — helping Americans save more money.

This brand was born from the original practice of using the quarter as a primary symbol. America Saves inspires non-savers to join together and start saving money, even if they only have pocket change. America Saves believes that if you can save a quarter, you can save.

The foundation of this brand also encompasses several broader themes: Americans can be motivated or inspired to save money, no matter what their economic standing; Americans can aspire to have better futures; and Americans can gain more peace of mind by being prepared for the unexpected.

Because of these rich themes, the story of America Saves has become much more than just a literal representation of money. Likewise, the brand has evolved to tell the bigger story — how saving money touches on aspirations, peace of mind, progress and hope. The brand grew from the literal portrayal of the quarter into a more symbolic one that would allow the consumer to “see” the possibilities of saving.

America Saves is growing, and this brand was also designed to be comprehensive enough to cover the various sub-brands and initiatives that make up the America Saves organization.

This brand maintains the equity that America Saves has built, while also broadening the ap-peal and refreshing the ideas that underscore the campaign.

2

O H I O

3

Overview of Primary and Sub-Brand Logo Treatments

Pantone 377 UPantone 377 U - 60%

Pantone 431 U orBlack 75%

LOGO

Primary two color logoBlack 75%

Pantone 377 – 60%

Pantone 377

Black 75%

The new logo incorporates a green that makes it immediately distinguishable as an organization that is about money, as opposed to any other purpose that the word “saves” might imply. The dollar sign in the “s” reinforces this identification. The icon of the three circles visually recollects the quarter from earlier branding, and maintains the theme of “if you can save a quarter, you can save.” It also takes the America Saves story beyond the literal representation of money, into the deeper themes of aspiration, peace of mind, progress and hope.

4

LOGO USAGE When combining the logo with other elements, the logo should be a clear and prominent part of the overall design. The logotype and tagline should not be retypeset, altered or modified in any way. The logo can appear without the tagline, but the logo should be used with the tagline where possible.

One color versions

Do Don’t

Small One color versions– No tagline needed

Primary two color version

5

SUB-BRANDEDLOGO USAGE

The sub-branded logo allows the America Saves sub-brands to gain the equity of the national brand. The unified look and feel likewise strengthens the overall America Saves brand. The more unified the brand, and the more consistently it is used, the more effective and efficient it will become. The logotype and tagline should not be retypeset, altered or modified in any way. The logo can appear without the tagline, but should be used with the tagline where possible.

M I L I T A R Y

M I L I T A R Y

Primary two color version

Do Don’t

M I L I T A R Y

One color versions

Military

M I L I T A R Y

MilitaryAmericaSaves

MILITARY AMERICA SAVESStart Small. think Big.

6

BRANDEDLOGO USAGE(continued)

When combining the logo with other elements, the logo should be a prominent part of the overall design. When using a colored background, be sure to use colors from the brand palette, and always keep the logo in white. The logotype and tagline should not be retypeset, altered or modified in any way. The logo can appear without the tagline, but should be used with the tagline where possible.

Do Don’t

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In logo:

Do: (Show correct logo with tagline)

Don’t: (Show logo with just half of the tagline, like -- Start Small.)

Don’t: (Show logo with completely altered tagline, like --Start Small. think big. Save now.)

Don’t: (Show logo with completely altered tagline, like -- Start Saving today.)

In body copy subheads or paragraphs:

Do: Start small. Take the first step toward savings by making a plan.

Do: Think Big. What’s your dream? Start saving for…..

TAGLINEUSAGE

The tagline in the logo should not be retypeset, altered or modified in any way. But when elaborating on the tagline in body copy, the tagline may be altered or modified to create subheads or lead-ins that reflect and elaborate on the branding in the logo.

8

COLOR PALETTE

Pantone 7468 URGB (on screen) red=58, green=102 blue= 127

Pantone 152 URGB (on screen) red=210, green=118 blue= 40

Pantone 106 U RGB (on screen) red=228, green=214 blue= 91

Pantone 377 URGB (on screen) red=103, green=148, blue=40

Pantone 431 U orBlack 75%RGB (on screen) red=80,green=81 blue= 83

80% 50% 20%

80% 50% 20%

80% 50% 20%

80% 50% 20%

Primary Colors

Secondary Colors

Tint percentage options

To maintain and strengthen the overall brand, use this color palette as your standard in all communications. Please note that these colors may look different on-screen than they do in print, depending on the printer you use. Please use the exact Pantone numbers to assure accuracy. Also please use the Web equivalents listed when working with online communications.

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Humanist 777abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ1234567890!@#$%*( )

Primary

ITC Garamond

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ1234567890!@#$%*( )

Secondary

ArialabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890!@#$%*( )

Web UseArial is an industry best practice for the web to ensure readability

TYPOGRAPHY The strength and consistency of the brand extends to the fonts used for different elements of every communication. For all headlines and subheads, use the primary font. Use the secondary font for all body text. For Web, always use Arial, and never use a live serif font online.

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DESIGN ELEmENTSAND LAYOUT(Idea StarterS)

Below are several examples of what a communication could look like when all of the brand elements — logo, tagline, color palette, typography and photography — are brought together. In some cases, the iconic circles are turned into a unique visual feature. These examples are not meant to be prescriptive, and are meant to serve as thought-starters only.

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Article Headline Here

April 2009

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Article Headline Here

April 2009April 2009

Main Article Headline

www.americasaves.org

www.americasaves.org www.americasaves.org

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Main Article Headline

www.americasaves.org

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www.americasaves.org

April 2009

April 2009

DESIGN ELEmENTSAND LAYOUT(continued)

Below is an example of how the America Saves brochure could look with all of the brand elements — logo, tagline, color palette, typography and photography. This example is intended to serve as a thought-starter.

www.americasaves.org

You Can Save.We Can Help.

TESTIMONIAL)Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipisc-ing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tinci-dunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volut-pat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tati on ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et i

www.AmericaSaves.org

Watch Your Savings Growthe “Miracle” of Interest Compounding

Few people get rich from theirwages alone. By taking advan-tage of the “miracle” of com-pound interest—earning interestnot only on your savings, butalso on the interest it has alreadyearned—almost anyone canreach long-term financial goals By saving as little as $10 or as much as $50 a month or more, you can build considerable savings. The chart tells the story.

1 Year 5 Years 10 Years 15 Years 40 Years

$614$,3400

$7,764

$29,775

$76,301

Save $50 a month With a 5% Yield

* $24,000 principal and $52,301 interest.

We’ll teach you how to put your money to work.(2 thru 5 of the ‘5 key saving strategies Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Utwisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse mo-lestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odiodignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril del-enit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi

Membership is free. Join today. (anyone who agrees to work toward Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi

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PHOTOGRAPHYUSAGE

The photography chosen should evoke the look and feel of the America Saves brand — warm, optimistic and engaging images of families or groups that represent the deeper themes of hope, progress and peace of mind. Please note: Avoid rights-managed photography because of the potential cost. Instead, try royalty-free stock photo Web sites like istockphoto.com, fotosearch.com. punchstock.com and the like.

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VOICE AND TONE

Just as the entire brand was developed with the America Saves audience in mind, so was the brand voice. How should America Saves talk to the people it most wants to serve? The answer is — in a way that will draw them to American Saves, and then help them as they work to overcome the challenges they face as American savers.

Audience: Who are we talking to?

The America Saves audience is typically low- to moderate-income Americans who are interested in saving more money, or could use more encouragement and information to save more money. This audience’s savings needs may include paying down debt, preparing for emergencies, or saving for a goal like a home or an education.

When writing any communication to this audience, always consider what information they will consider most useful, important and engaging.

Brand voice: How do we say it?

The America Saves brand includes a tone of voice that is inspirational, motivational, encouraging, supportive and straightforward.

The America Saves audience needs to be treated with

respect and empathy. Using a friendly, conversational voice, we need to inspire and motivate them. This will establish the America Saves personality as friendly, helpful, respectful and easy to understand.

Mechanics: What does this voice look and sound like?

Simple, concise sentences work best; with short, easy to read words, as well as the use of active verbs to make the writing more powerful. Content gets lost in words, sentences and paragraphs that are too long. Also:

• Use a caring, informative, inspirational, supportive, “we’re in it together” tone to engage your audience.

• Use everyday language and avoid financial jargon as much as possible.

• Be friendly and conversational. Write like you talk.• Also be clear and straightforward, so there’s no

mistaking the subject matter.• Sometimes less is more. Keep an eye on the length or

bulk of your communications and trim them down to make them more accessible and readable.

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Email BestPractices

Emails have fundamental differences from traditional print communications, and should employ the standards and best practices that will make them the most effective at reaching your audience’s inbox, getting read and driving engagement.

The following are some tried and true best practices for emails used across the industry to increase readership and response, improve engagement, and prevent potential obstacles like image suppression and deliverability concerns.

1. Personalize and front load subject line (put the main benefit up front in case subject lines get cut off in the inbox). 2. Include link in header to view the email in a separate browser 3. Address security concerns in header 4. Use HTML headline 5. Link directly to popular tasks in a convenient location 6. Invite the customer to add America Saves to their address book 7. Code tables in HTML 8. Put compelling content above the fold and within range of preview pane — the viewer my not always know to or take time to scroll down the page 9. Group content into small chunks and bullets10. Include plenty of links11. Use offer-specific images when possible12. Market in the alt image and hover tag space

For #2, 3, 5, and 6, please see the following example of an America Saves email header.

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Having trouble viewing this e-mail? Go here.

Saver Resources

Saving Stratagies

Help prevent fraud.

Add us to your address book.

eNewsletterContent

The highest priority of an email newsletter is to provide engaging consumer content. In addition to using the America Saves brand standards for voice and tone, and the best practices for email communications, it is important to keep in mind some specific email newsletter best practices. After a sweeping review of the best practices of email newsletters across the industry, the following standards rose to the top:

• Short numbered list of tips• Interactive elements• Expert advice• Entertainment• Testimonials• Sweepstakes and event news with actual customers• Timely content (season, economy, etc.)• Tabs to site• Above-the-fold table of contents linking to stories below-the-fold or

hosted on site• Personalization to ensure security

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