FAQ

Our brand is our reputation, which is influenced by peoples experience of us. This experience includes touch points over which we have control... our name, our logo, the way we communicate online and in print, the way we speak, the quality of service we provide, the environments in which we work and so on. It also includes touch points over which we have limited control for example press coverage, word of mouth and social media.

Our brand is important because it supports our strategy. It is an asset of huge worth with three primary audiences. It influences customer choice and drives new and existing business relationships. It helps attract and retain the best talent. It plays a part in setting the social agenda with governments, the general public and pressure groups. The visual manifestation of our brand is our brand identity.

Our Brand

To ensure a consistent experience, we have Brand Standards, these contain all the information needed to support the brand and apply the brand identity correctly. The Brand Standards can be downloaded from this website.

Our Brand

The practice of writing ‘Systems’ in all capitals was discontinued some years ago. This applies to text and headlines. The only time you would write the word in all capitals is when it appears in a line of type that is all capitals (for example, the headline of a news release). In all other instances, write “Systems” with an initial cap only.

Name

Although a number of Logo versions are supplied, the preferred Logo version is very much Corporate Red with white letters. These colours should never be reversed. If red is not available or does not work with the background, a black version is provided. A grey version is available for use on brushed steel.

Our Logo

The Corporate Red and white is the preferred version, so try to choose backgrounds that will work with this. For this reason, don’t use the Corporate Red, or similar colours, as a background. When using the Logo over imagery, choose areas that do not create visual noise or create strong other graphic shapes around the Logo.

Our Logo

All logos have a defined clear space to make them legible and clear during use. Clear space for our Logo is defined by the height of the rectangle for normal print sizes, and then by half of this when used larger.

Our Logo

There are 14 different taglines, each of which can be used to communicate the idea of ‘Real Advantage’, making it relevant to a variety of audiences. The Tagline can only be written in English or Arabic, using the downloadable artwork. Your Brand Champion can provide you with additional guidance on the most suitable one for your purposes. Do not create your own version.  Any new taglines must be approved by the Communications Council and a minimum of 8 weeks must be allowed for this.

Logo & Tagline

We have no control over where our Logo is used within a partner’s communication material, all we can do is provide an accurate artwork (in terms of colour, size and appropriate tagline) and instruct them to maintain the clear space around it.

Our Logo

Additional logos dilute the impact of the BAE Systems Logo and our brand overall.  As a general rule logos should not be created for internal teams, initiatives and events.   For more clarification on exceptions businesses should seek guidance from their Brand Champion.

Our Logo

The BAE Systems Logo can be supplied and used on the materials of our partner companies, the charities we support, our suppliers (in the context of the product they support), and if BAE Systems are sponsoring an event or conference. Where possible, supply the Corporate Red and white version only and make sure that the rules on clear space are understood. A final bit of good advice is to ask to see a print out or PDF of the proposed usage.

Our Logo

Do not include a Logo in your e-mail signature as this appears as an attachment and can cause the recipient problems with email management and potentially cause firewalls and spam filters to block it. Arial is the preferred typeface for your signature; and a recommended order for the signature, based on the standard BAE Systems business card, is given in the Stationery section of the Brand Standards.

Electronic stationery

If you ensure that the clear space, and the correct colour and proportion are met then yes this is allowed.

Our Logo

In general a partner logo will sit opposite the BAE Systems Logo in its preferred size and position, and at roughly the same size. The BAE Systems Logo position depends on what type of communication you are producing (bottom right for printed brochures, top right for popups and displays, for example).

Using other logos

The rules for the Logo are company-wide, so all items should be following these rules without exception. Communications that fail to comply can be withdrawn and reprinted at the originators own cost. If you have any concerns, speak to your Brand Champion.

Managing our brand

Only logos corporately approved may be used in addition to the BAE Systems logo.  Full business justification is required.  Your Brand Champion and Communications Team must fully support and champion the request.

Managing our brand

In this case, you can use the BAE Systems name only in upper and lower case – ‘BAE Systems’. Do not attempt to recreate the Logo by using spaced capitals.

Our Logo

The Pantone reference is 199. The majority of uses will be in four colour process, and a set of values is given and embedded into all Logo files. These values do not match with the normal one for PMS 199, but use the one provided as this offsets a slight pinkiness in the standard split. In general, the red that is required is a ‘normal’, ‘straight’ red – not too warm, not too pink, and make sure that you brief your supplier to take extra care with colour matching. In using colour, the Corporate Red should not be over used as it diminishes the impact of the Logo. Therefore, you should not have to deal with too many occasions of large areas of red and any colour matching problems that might arise.

Colour

Colour is a great tool in maintaining a coherent look for our communications. Our Colour Palette allows both consistency across the company in general, but is broad enough to allow for differentiation across a wide range of applications.

Colour

The Image Bank is the best resource for approved images. However if you have the budget to commission some photography then the Photography brief will provide you with guidance on issues as diverse as copyright, file sizes and style to help you get the most out of a photographic shoot.

Imagery
Image Bank

Photo montages combining images of varying scale and using feathered edges are not allowed, as they can appear dated and old-fashioned. Instead, use the underlying grid to help organize separate images. Use the appropriate template, downloadable from the Our Brand site, to recreate this.

Imagery

Yes. Our strongest ambassadors for our company and our brand are our employees, all 100,000+ of them! It is for this reason that there can be no distinction between internal and external, large and small communications projects. We are one brand with one brand identity applied consistently on all material, in every market around the world and with every audience. This does not prevent communications being created which are appropriate for the task they need to do: humorous, serious, informal or formal.

Our brand identity

Yes, regardless of whether the presentation is a working presentation to colleagues, or a high level one to customers. Using the PowerPoint Toolkit will ensure your presentation follows the Brand Standards and is of a standard that is as suitable for an AGM as it is for a team meet.

PowerPoint

A company wide image strip is given within the PowerPoint Toolkit. An individual Operating Group/Business can create their own, more tailored image strip, as long as it follows the style and their Brand Champion approves it.

PowerPoint

No. Consistent formats help to pull together our communications, regardless of who produced or designed it. The approved formats for brochures are A4, A5, US letter and half letter.  Download the relevant templates from the Brochures page of the website.

Brochures

Developing an ‘on brand’ website doesn’t mean that your site needs to look exactly like all other BAE Systems sites, but it does mean retaining certain elements to give a coherent appearance to our online communications. To ensure that the online brand is consistent, a range of standard html page templates which cover the majority of content requirements. Use these templates for any new pages included within the corporate site, even if that means re-creating in another application. When looking at developing new corporate site sections, or a separate microsite, please review all standard templates before creating new ones. Templates are available by contacting the e-Media Team within Corporate Communications. If you feel that the templates do not apply then also contact the e-Media Team.

Online

We operate a tiered approach to both general and recruitment advertising. This means that the final message and form of any advert changes depending on the coverage and audience for the campaign. A list of approved agencies for both forms of advertising, and media planning too, will ensure consistent use of imagery, art direction and copy tone, maximise media placement targeting to reduce costs, and coordinate advertising activity across different Businesses at the same time. A list of agencies and contacts are given in the managing our brand section of the website.

Advertising
Managing our brand

All published material shall be signed off prior to production- a Communications Collateral Approval Form template can be downloaded and, once signed, this form gives approval that the BAE Systems Brand Standards have been applied correctly. We recommend informing your Brand Champion when the project begins and scheduling a minimum of 3 days for sign off of items. Brand Champions are able to offer support and share relevant knowledge, thus ensuring our Brand Identity is used consistently on all material, in every market around the world and with every audience.

Managing our brand

You will find a list of Brand Champions on the managing our brand page of the website. Brand Champions have been appointed throughout the company. They have an in-depth knowledge of the Brand Standards and will be happy to answer any questions you might have. If you cannot see anyone within your own area, contact any of the Brand Champions listed.

Managing our brand

You can email baesystems@opx.co.uk or call the Brand Identity Helpline 0930 – 1800 GMT on +44 (0)1252 384838 for additional help with using the Brand Standards and designing or commissioning communications materials.

Contact us

You are permitted to use a local supplier (your Brand Champion will be able to recommend one to you) but they must obtain their own username to access the Our Brand website.  In order to maintain BAE Systems’ high standards and consistent brand identity it is important that we are able to keep track of who is creating our communications materials and can thus ensure those users are kept updated with any changes to the Brand Standards.

Managing our brand

No. In order to retain a consistent quality, style and colour across garment types there is a list of suppliers who can provide approved event wear. Your Brand Champion will be able to help and advise you with your choice. 

Clothing
Managing our brand

The Our Brand website is designed to make the most important elements of the brand identity universally available. However certain aspects are protected by a username login process. This means we can monitor which external agencies are accessing the Brand Standards and also ensures any user who is creating important communications materials is registered and can be updated with any changes.

Log in

Content is added by Content Editors who upload content from each of the businesses. Please contact your business’s Content Editor, who sits within your Communications team. If you are unsure of this, please liaise with your Brand Champion.

Managing our brand

There are approved suppliers for all communications. Please refer to your Brand Champion for any recommended agencies.

Managing our brand

Communications can be withdrawn and reprinted at your own cost. The decision here is initially with the Brand Champion, then referring to the Head of Communications for your Business, and then to the Communications Council to make the final decision.

Managing our brand

Yes, there is a policy on company giving. If you do want to make a donation, please advise your central Communications team to ensure there are no duplicate donations and for central business records to be kept.

Community relations

Check the current lines of merchandise available before ordering any 'special' items.  Please ensure you use your preferred merchandise supplier as they will know how and where the BAE Systems Logo can be placed on 'new' items of merchandise.

Merchandise

Known as the EI&S “purpose statement,” it is a registered trademark. It formerly was a business tag line. BAE Systems’ corporate branding rules now prohibit use of tag lines other than the “Real Advantage” series (see Real Advantage entry), limiting use of “We Protect …” to the following 3 instances:
1 As a headline, verbatim, in title case, with the registered symbol: We Protect Those Who Protect Us®. 
2 Paraphrased within body copy, lowercase, without the registered symbol: At BAE Systems, we believe in protecting those who protect us. 
3 Used verbatim, in title case, in body copy (this will occur rarely): EI&S employees are particularly moved by the operating group’s “purpose statement,” We Protect Those Who Protect Us®.
In no case may the phrase We Protect Those Who Protect Us ® be used outside the headline or body copy, as it would appear to be a secondary tag line.

Logo & Tagline