3M Brand Identity System © 3M 2007. All Rights Reserved.

3M Brand Identity System

© 3M 2007. All Rights Reserved.

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Overview

Strategy & Planning3M brand identity system overviewBenefits of the 3M brand identity system Checklist for a successful start

Building the 3M Montage3M montage design overview3M montage design elementsEffective vs. ineffective 3M montages Examples gallery

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3M Brand Identity System Overview

Corporate FocusConsistent placement of the 3M Red logo on a white background and specific typography are the core elements defining the 3M brand.

Business FocusThe montage field allows individual businesses, brands or products to differentiate by expressing their key messages and unique value propositions, while still maintaining a connection to the 3M brand.

White BackgroundIn most cases, the white background is shown above and below the montage field.

TypographyHelvetica Neue Condensed is the primary font.

3M LogoThe logo is always 3M Red.

Montage Field:• Relevant images of people, products and patterns

• Overlapping translucent shapes

• Radius corner

• Axis lines

• Two part montage messaging type

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Benefits of the 3M Brand Identity System

Company-wide consistency Global recognition Building business faster and more efficiently Flexibility Spending resources on appropriate imagery and extended

marketing tactics

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Checklist for a Successful Start

Before designing a 3M montage: Analyze your competition and differentiate Align to your business, brand or product’s value propositions Establish relevant key messages Create imagery that best portrays your business, brand, product or service Complete a Creative Brief Work with an experienced design team

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3M Montage Design Overview

Criteria for 3M montage designs are: One main point of visual focus Message or benefit should be short and powerful Imagery should be relevant and support the message Singular harmonious color scheme Overlapping shapes and color breaking out of the

horizontal plane Final solution should be fresh and visually engaging Limit the number of visual elements The 3M montage design is not simply placing multiple

images in boxes.

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3M Montage Design Elements

The 3M montage design elements are: Grid Shape Radius Corner Axis Lines Color Imagery Montage Messaging Type

> Click through the next slides to see more information about each element.

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Grid All 3M montage designs begin with a grid. The purpose of the grid is to enable the composition of

the montage to achieve a sense of proportion and cohesiveness.

The example shows a grid for an 8.5x11 inch literature cover. The montage grid area is just above the center of the page with 3 inches of white space above and 3.5 inches of white space below.

Adobe® InDesign® CS2 templates are available on the 3M brand identity standards Web site.

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Shape One of the unique features of the 3M montage is the way

shapes break into and out of the horizontal plane in unexpected ways to create unique compositions.

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Shape One of the unique features of the 3M montage is the way

shapes break into and out of the horizontal plane in unexpected ways to create unique compositions.

Align shapes within the grid for consistent proportion. Shapes should overlap and engage with one another

and have different levels of transparency. Use the “multiply” feature in Adobe® InDesign® CS2 to achieve rich levels of overlap.

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Radius Corner One edge must have a radius (curved) corner with the

other edge(s) having a 90 degree (square) corner. The curve of the radius corner, in combination with the

90 degree corner, is derived from the shape of the 3M logo.

NOTE: A radius corner script called “Corner Effects,” for Adobe® InDesign® CS2, is available online under the heading “Scripting Resources/Download InDesign Scripts” at: http://www.adobe.com/products/indesign/xml_scripting.html#sresources

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Axis Lines Create movement in composition. Use thin .5pt white rules with 50% opacity

allowing background and image colors to come through. Avoid using 100% solid white lines. Place on grid and align with edges of shapes.

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Color Singular harmonious color scheme, but not monochromatic. Colors should not compete with the visual presence of the

3M Red logo.

Choose Your Color Scheme: Based on colors that complement your imagery. Based on colors that are appropriate for your business,

brand or product line. Extend this color scheme across all applications for consistency.

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ImageryPeople Show people that are relevant to the subject matter. Eye contact pulls the viewer into the composition. Use close cropping and interesting angles.

REMEMBER: There must always be one main point of focus in a successful 3M montage design. This is generally obtained by making one image dramatically larger than the others.

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ImageryProducts Show products in-use. Shoot product photography with strong selective focus. Crop products closely for impact. The main point of focus can be a product or a person.

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ImageryPattern Patterns and texture should activate the color to obtain

a richness and depth. Do not use only solid areas of color. Patterns should be relevant, yet abstract. Microscopic imagery, demonstrating the science behind

a product’s technology, serves well as a relevant pattern.

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Montage Messaging Type The montage messaging type in each design should be

short and concise. Arrange using a mix of sizes of Helvetica Neue Condensed

with one or two words dramatically larger than the others for graphic impact.

Use Helvetica Neue 57 Regular Condensed for smaller words and Helvetica Neue 47 Light Condensed for larger words so the width of the letter width appears similar.

The montage messaging type is considered part of the design and not just placed words.

Should be staggered horizontally to create movement. The baseline of the type inside (white) should always be

aligned at the bottom of the montage with the top of the type outside (black) anchored below.

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Effective vs. Ineffective 3M Montage Design

Ineffective No clear point of focus, too many images Too flat, no areas of visual rest or depth Message is too long and not integrated Color is not harmonious and appears flat Poor image cropping No radius corner

Effective Main point of focus Visually balanced Type is integrated into the composition Color is harmonious Image cropping is dynamic Uses grid for structure and balance

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Examples Gallery

Tier 2 Literature Cover Tier 1 Literature Cover Print Ad

Visit the 3M Brand Identity Standards Web site for additional examples, information and tools.

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