The Leukaemia Foundation has a flexible brand system that’s efficient to use and allows us to deliver a consistent experience for our stakeholders.

These guidelines cover eight system elements: story, voice, logo, colours, typography, photos, videos and graphics & illustrations.

When you’re using any of our trademarks, logos, designs and/or other brand features, you acknowledge your acceptance of the terms in these brand guidelines.

A word on verification

The Communications and Marketing Services team at the Leukaemia Foundation is accountable for this brand system. Everyone utilising it, including our people and stakeholders, is responsible for complying with the guidelines.

Content or communications that features any part of the Leukaemia Foundation’s brand system (excluding existing templates and corporate stationary) must be approved by our Communications and Marketing Services team.

Communications including, but not limited to, new websites, proposals, email templates, newsletters, social media content, booklets, brochures and other promotional materials, photographs and videos will need to be approved if they use any part of this brand system.

Please use [email protected]

We can’t wait to see you bring our brand to life!

Story

What we do

The Leukaemia Foundation helps Australians with blood cancer. We offer wraparound health services, fund leading-edge research and campaign for change alongside our community.

Leukaemia, lymphoma, myeloma – every blood cancer matters to us. We’re here for anyone with any blood cancer, every step of the way. The Leukaemia Foundation is Australia’s most trusted cancer charity, made up of patients, carers, healthcare professionals, researchers, specialists and an army of community supporters.

Blood cancer is a difficult and dangerous opponent and one of the greatest health and social challenges we face. About 135,000 Australians are living with blood cancer, a number set to double by 2035. It cannot be prevented or screened for. It can strike anyone at any time. And it weighs heaviest on disadvantaged Australians and those living outside of our cities.

We’re changing that; it’s in our blood. We’ve spent nearly 50 years working with the community to help solve the challenges faced by people with blood cancer. And we’re not stopping until together we reach the day when zero lives are lost to blood cancer.

Why we do it

Your blood is a remarkable thing. It keeps you alive by giving your body what it needs, taking away what it doesn’t and fighting off infection. 

Blood cancer stops your blood from doing what it needs to keep you alive and healthy.

It develops in the places of your body where blood is made, but its exact cause is unknown.

Another 53 Australians are diagnosed with blood cancer each day, joining more than 135,000 people living with the devastating impact of our second most diagnosed cancer.

A range of things affect someone’s chance of surviving blood cancer and it can be incurable. Sadly, another 16 Australians will lose their life to blood cancer each and every day.

More about blood cancer

There are many different types of blood cancer and together they are among the most prevalent and deadly cancers in Australia today. The most common types of blood cancer are called lymphoma, leukaemia and myeloma. 

Lymphoma is a blood cancer.

Specifically, it’s a cancer of the lymphatic system. Lymphoma most often develops in the network of vessels in your body that play a part in protecting you from infection. It stops your immune system from doing its job. There a few different types of lymphoma. The exact cause of lymphoma is unknown. A range of factors affect someone’s chance of surviving lymphoma.

Leukaemia is a blood cancer.

Specifically, it’s a cancer of the bone marrow. Leukaemia develops inside your bone marrow where blood cells are made. It stops your blood cells from doing their job. There are many types of leukaemia. The exact cause of leukaemia is unknown. A range of factors affect someone’s chance of surviving leukaemia.

Myeloma is a blood cancer.

Specifically, it’s a cancer of the cells used by your immune system. Myeloma develops in your bone marrow. It stops your blood from being made properly. The exact cause of myeloma is unknown. Myeloma can be managed with treatment but is incurable.

Our history

Our movement began in the seventies when a small band of people realised more could be done to save lives from a type of blood cancer called leukaemia.

Now there are more than a hundred different types of blood cancer and related blood disorders, including the more well-known cancers called lymphoma and myeloma.

Some can be beaten, some take your life and some stay with you forever.

We may have leukaemia in our name, but we exist for every Australian diagnosed with any type of blood cancer, and while blood cancer continues to wreck lives that won’t change.

More about what we do: wraparound health services

A blood cancer diagnosis delivers a huge emotional, physical and financial shock, throwing families onto a rollercoaster of disruption ​and distress.​

From the moment someone is worried about blood cancer, they can turn to the Leukaemia Foundation for unique wraparound support.​

The Leukaemia Foundation’s accommodation, transport and financial relief services combine to give swift practical support so people can get to treatment and focus on getting better.​

Our team of trained professionals also offer tailored emotional support and information to help patients and carers navigate the unknown and manage their own wellbeing.

More about what we do: Leading-edge research

Blood cancer research is our best chance of developing better ways of treating and caring for Australians with blood cancer.​

The Leukaemia Foundation funds the science helping us understand the causes of blood cancer and how it can be diagnosed with speed ​and certainty.​

We also fund research that translates this frontier knowledge into life-saving new treatments, while giving patients rapid access to clinical trials testing the very latest medicines.

More about what we do: Campaigning for change

Inconsistencies in our healthcare system are directly affecting people with blood cancer. ​

Blood cancer often isn’t diagnosed quickly enough and getting the best treatment can depend on where you live or what you can afford.​

Using the latest evidence, the Leukaemia Foundation works with the blood cancer community to act for better policies, better access to treatment and care, and better outcomes for those with blood cancer.​

We also help fast-track affordable access to diagnostics and drugs from overseas so Australians benefit from the best the world has to offer.

Voice

When we show our personality and tone, we never want to come across as laid back; excitable or uncontrolled; abrupt or short; nor humdrum or lifeless.

Our written style guide means our brand remains consistent and trusted. We use this guide for all of our communications.

If you’re in doubt about any other grammatical standards, we recommend you refer to the Style Manual for Authors, Editors and Printers (6th ed.)

Naming the Leukaemia Foundation
Naming blood cancers and related blood disorders

Use the Leukaemia Foundation in sentence case. Note the use of the word the.

Don’t use LF or the Foundation in external communications. We’re proud of our name and don’t want to confuse people.

After referring initially to the Leukaemia Foundation in written text, you can then use we or our to avoid repetition.

We try to avoid using the Leukaemia Foundation of Australia.

There are lots of types of blood cancers and related blood disorders. It can be confusing for people and we want to be accessible and inclusive, so, if you can, always aim to use blood cancer rather than a specific sub type.

If you do use a sub type, reference the fact it is a blood cancer e.g.

    • John Smith was diagnosed with a type of blood cancer called acute myeloid leukaemia.
    • Jane Smith is now in remission from lymphoma, which is a type of blood cancer.

If you do mention blood cancer or a sub type, and you have the time and space, always briefly explain its main characteristic(s). Find them here or on our website.

Blood cancers and other related blood disorders should generally be written in sentence case:

    • acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL)
    • acute myeloid leukaemia (AML)
    • amyloidosis
    • chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL)
    • chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML)
    • Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) (Hodgkin is capped as it refers to a person’s name)
    • leukaemia
    • lymphoma
    • myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS)
    • myeloma
    • myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN)
    • non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) (Hodgkin is capped as it refers to a person’s name)
    • Waldenström’s macroglobulinaemia (WM) (Waldenström’s is capped as it refers to a person’s name)

If you mention a sub type at least twice in your communication, you can introduce an acronym in brackets the first time you use the sub type in full, and then use the acronym subsequently. But never use an acronym in isolation or in a headline – they can be confusing.

You’ve got style!

All our spelling follows Australian/British English, not American English. Here’s some other style tips:

Avoid
Try this instead
Digits 1-9 Write out numbers up to and including nine
Writing out numbers ten and over Use digits 10 or over

Mixing words and digits when two or more numbers appear together.

The children were aged eight and 11

Use digits when two or more numbers appear together.

The children were aged 8 and 11

Leaving four or more digit numbers without a comma.

The event raised $4000 and then $10,000

Add a comma to four or more digit numbers.

The event raised $4,000 and then $10,000

Using per cent or percent We always use %
Writing common measurements out in full

Abbreviate common measurements

He ran the 10km race and won by a margin of 30cm

Abbreviating million or billion

Together they raised $2m

Write million and billion in full (space providing)

Together they raised $2 million

Complicating dates with prepositions, commas or rd, th, nd or st eg

The event is on Monday 1st of December, 2020

Day Date (digit) Month (word) Year (digit)

The event is on Monday 1 December 2020

Patients (except if your communication is obviously clinical or research-based, or it features in a supplied quote) We refer to this amazing community as people with blood cancer or people living with blood cancer
The acronym PLWBC in external communication People living with blood cancer (sentence case)
Avoid using an ampersand (&)  Write out ‘and’ instead (unless you need to shorten a headline in a very tight space or you’re tweeting) 
Life saving or lifesaving Life-saving
Health care professional or health care system Healthcare

 

Our master brand mark is the main visual identifier for the Leukaemia Foundation. Its appearance on promotional communication implies endorsement by the Leukaemia Foundation.

These guidelines ensure our mark is always used in a consistent and accessible way. We’re proud our mark scores AAA using Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), if it’s used properly.

We have four variations of our master brand mark. You need permission from the Brand and Marketing Department to use this mark. Request the mark here.  Here are three guiding principles:

  1. Primary Stack is always our first option
  2. Reverse Stack is only used when the background is dark
  3. Landscape versions of our logo are only used when space doesn’t allow for use of the Stack

We also have logo lockups for our brilliant community supporters and partners to use. You don’t need to permission to use these; learn about them on the tab below. Find them here

Think you might need to use the brand mark?

Make sure the first thing you do is fill out this quick form. The Communications and Marketing Services team will get back to you within two working days.

If we think using the brand mark is the right fit for your project, we will send you the files you need, record the use in our register. 

Please make sure you make a new request every time you use the logo so we can keep our records up to date. 

Primary stack
Reverse stack
Primary landscape
Reverse landscape
Community logos

Primary Stack

Primary Stack Reverse

Primary Landscape

Reverse Landscape

Below are some examples of our Stack and Landscape community logo lockups. You can download the file(s) you need here (employee access only).

To help meet demand, there are a variety of different versions and file types to choose from. Follow the advice of your designer when it comes to file types. But if you’re unsure which to use, we advise the following:

  1. Use Stack, unless space restrictions only permit Landscape 
  2. Use Primary (blue), unless the background is dark, then use Reverse (white) 
  3. Use a version(s) that features the year, unless there is a good reason not to
  4. Use PNG file type(s) for digital applications. For print, you should use EPS but, if you don’t have software to support EPS files, you can use JPG or PNG.

Construction
Clearspace
Colour
Scale
Placement
Partnerships
Social icons
Construction

Our logo is clear, well balanced and confident, traits that closely align with our values and brand personality. It has been constructed to allow for excellent legibility at most sizes on any application. Dynamic space has been installed between the L and the F, which can be utilised during our design processes, including motion graphics.

Clearspace

Clearspace around the logo is, at a minimum, equal to the height of the L in our logo.

Clear space exceptions

  • App icons
  • Signage with limited space
  • Social icons

To make sure it gets the recognition it deserves our logo can only be shown in Primary Blue (on lighter backgrounds) or Reverse Light (darker backgrounds).

If you’re printing in grayscale, our logo is also available in black. We try to avoid using a black logo.

When placed on our primary colour palette, our logo should always be Primary, unless it’s placed on Dark, when it should be Reverse.

Our logo is designed to scale to smaller sizes on screen and print. Here are the minimum and recommended sizes for digital and print.

*Please note that the images below are not to scale

Digital Applications

Print Applications

Our logo can never be printed smaller than 20mm wide (constrained proportions)

Here are the recommended sizings for common page layouts.

The logo placement depends on the type of communication and use.

General communication that includes text, the logo should be aligned bottom right.

Digital communications, including websites, as well as functional applications, the logo should be top aligned.

Tall and narrow signage allows us to rotate our logo onto a vertical plane.

When our logo is used with others all clear space rules must be followed. The separating line should be the height of our logo.

We always try to be inclusive and accessible and, because of our long name and limited space, our social icons feature a submark featuring only the L and the F from our logo.

Social app icons are individually designed based on platform specifications.

More guidance

Don’t type out Leukaemia Foundation in other fonts or weights

Don’t type out Leukaemia Foundation in other fonts or weights

Don’t stretch or manipulate our logo in any way

Do not set our logo in a colour that isn’t Blue or Light.

Don’t pair our logo with symbols or marks that may be confused as logos

Using the logo over images

The logo is only to be used over images where there are no other options available and where the image has a clear, uncluttered space available to ensure it can be seen clearly.

Use the primary logo over lighter images.

Use the reverse logo over darker images.

Do not use the logo over busy images.

Colour

Our colours take advantage of our existing strong association with blue. They reflect our values and passion for life in a modern and caring way.

Our colours help us to add vibrancy and energy to our communications.

Make sure to use our colours in the way we’ve outlined below.

When we’re in control of the print process we use CMYK codes.

Our colours are only ever used at 100% opacity, except for our cell in motion graphic device. We’re a bold organisation so we only rarely use tints.

These are our primary colours.

Blue

RGB
0 20 137

HEX
001489

PMS
Pantone Reflex Blue c

CMYK
100 87 0 20

Light

RGB
255 255 255

HEX
FFFFFF

CMYK
0 0 0 0

Dark

RGB
12 35 64

HEX
0C2340

PMS
Pantone 289 c

CMYK
100 66 0 76

Care

RGB
0 194 152

HEX
00C298

PMS
Pantone 3395

CMYK
72 0 55 0

Bold

RGB
0153 122 219

HEX
997ADB

PMS
Pantone 928c

CMYK
54 51 0 0

Sky

RGB
116 209 234

HEX
74D1EA

PMS
Pantone 0821c

CMYK
47 0 7 0

Execution
Combinations and proportions
Using two colours?
Using three colours?

We take two approaches to using colour:

Accent
We use lots of Light with some Blue, and sometimes also a little of Care, Sky or Bold, across corporate communications. We use the Accent approach most often.

Bold
We use lots of Blue, Care, Sky or Bold when we want to add energy to our communications or make a big statement. We use lots of Dark when we want to show confidence and leadership. We use the Bold approach less often.

We only ever use two or three of our colours in a single composition. This rule doesn’t always have to include text colour (if you have text) because we always use the accessibility matrix below to decide which text colour to use.

One colour must always be Blue. It’s friendly with all our other colours, but isn’t best friends with Dark.

A little Blue goes a long way so we most often don’t use too much of it.

We can use any colour in the primary palette. One colour must be Blue.

We use these proportions: 30% Blue and 70% other colour.

We can use any colour in the primary palette. One colour must be Blue; and one colour must be Light or Dark, depending on our audience and the tone we want to strike.

We use these proportions: 30% Blue, 60% Light or Dark and 10% other colour

Typography

Our typography is easy to use by us and easy to read by our stakeholders.

Gilroy Bold and Proxima Nova typefaces are both key elements of our brand system.

We use Arial typefaces internally.

These are the only fonts we use within the Gilroy and Proxima Nova families:

Gilroy Bold

Proxima Nova Regular

Proxima Nova Bold

Proxima Nova Light

Proxima Nova Condensed Regular

It’s important to use the following combinations and hierarchy to maintain consistency and clarity.

Combinations
Hierarchy
  • Our headers are Gilroy Bold and must normally be presented using sentence case. Leading point size equals the headline point size. 
  • Our subheads are Proxima Nova Bold and must always be presented using sentence case. Leading point size equals the subhead point size. 
  • Our body text is Proxima Nova Regular and must always be presented using sentence case. Leading is 1.0 or 100%.
  • We hero or highlight portions of body text using Proxima Nova Light or Proxima Nova Condensed Regular. Leading is 1.0 or 100%.

Our subhead must be 40-50% of the headline point size

Our body copy must be 20-30% of the headline point size

If there is no headline or subhead, body copy must be no smaller than 11pt (online and offline).

Text accessibility

We always aim for the highest accessibility score possible when using text on on our primary colours, based on WCAG 2.0 Guidelines. We apply these digital guidelines for our work offline, too, so we look more consistent:

AAA = best and first choice
AA = great
AA Large = ok but only for text over 18pt
Fail = don’t ever use this combination

Font accessibility chart

Photography

Photography is a crucial part of the Leukaemia Foundation brand. It is used to help tell stories as well as convey the brand’s tone of voice.

Our clean and natural style of photography brings the reader into the story by using raw and unfiltered subjects in natural environments.

We have photography available for Leukaemia Foundation staff to use in our Resource Library here (SharePoint login required). Contact the Brand and Communications team if you would like share any of our photography with third parties.

Images of blood cancer under a microscope are available for your use here.

People
Composition
Lighting and Colour

When people are the main subject of a photo, make sure they’re helping tell the story.

  • Keep them in a natural environment. It will help connect the audience to the subject.
  • When shooting portraits, try and convey the subject’s personality whether it’s happy, pensive, playful or anything in between. Getting close to the subject will help show who they are.
  • Individuals or groups of people should be shot in an almost ‘candid’ style – as though they are unaware they are even being photographed.

The composition of the image is at the discretion of the photographer and depends on the final output, audience and message.

  • Make the viewer feel a part of the image, as though they’re peering into someone’s world.
  • Using the subject’s perspective is a great way to make the audience feel a part of the photo.

It is important to ensure images appear to have natural light and colour.

  • They should look naturally white balanced and not stylised.
  • Try to incorporate brand colours if possible (blue, purple, green).
  • Depending on the scene, images can be dark or light, as long as it’s realistic.

Do’s

  • Use real people.
  • Keep the scenarios natural and authentic.
  • Keep the retouching to a minimum.
  • Try and use natural lighting.
  • Tell a story.

Don’ts

  • Use forced poses.
  • Use studio environments.
  • Use too many filters / over-retouch.
  • Use unnatural lighting.
  • Real person
  • Natural lighting
  • Tells a story
  • Retouching kept to a minimum
stock image woman cheering with red cross
  • Model feels very unnatural
  • Heavily staged
  • Lighting looks artificial
Stock image of woman with red cross
  • Forced pose
  • Scene looks very staged

Supplied Imagery

Sometimes images will be supplied by a third party, resulting in photography that doesn’t adhere to the proposed guidelines.

When this is the case, use basic colour correction and retouching to get the image looking as natural and clean as you can, correcting any images that are too warm, cool, light, dark etc.

If the image contains any old Leukaemia Foundation branding, make sure to update it to the new branding through retouching.

Please use your best judgement and skill to ensure the images are represented as accurately as possible.

Don’t correct user generated content (UGC) because we want that to stay as authentic as possible to the original content creator.

  • Image has been cropped.
  • Colour temperature has been cooled.
  • Subjects’ faces have been lightened. 
  • Image has been sharpened overall.
  • Colour temperature has been cooled.
  • Subject’s face has been lightened. 
  • Image has been sharpened overall.
  • Leukaemia Foundation mark and branding have been updated. 
  • Image has been sharpened overall.

Video

Colour grading and lighting treatments

The footage should be clean and use natural or natural-looking light. The footage should not be harsh or over exposed.

Colours should be soft and muted, but still natural in tone.

Lower thirds
End Frames

When you need to name people in your video the cell-in-motion graphic device should be used for the lower third. This should sit in the bottom left or right of the screen as per the example below.

The name should feature in Gilroy Bold and subhead should be in Proxima Nova Regular.

Files for our staff can be found in the Resource Library on SharePoint (staff login required).

The end frame should feature a centred Leukaemia Foundation logo, using Blue or Reverse version, depending on the background.

There are two end-frame options available for use. Files for staff can be found in the resource library on SharePoint.

Logo on video

Only the latest high res logo, provided by the Strategic Communications team, should be used. Logo usage needs to follow all the guidelines in the logo section of the brand guidelines.

Typography

Type in videos should follow all guidelines set out in the typography section of the brand guidelines.

Captions

We are an accessible and inclusive organisation so all videos must have closed captions (CC). This can be done natively on YouTube.

Music

The genre of background music should fit the video mood, content and style. It should not distract from the video content. Background music should always be instrumental.

Ratio

Aspect ratio is important for the viewing experience because the more a video fills the screen, the more immersive an experience it provides. The ratio should be determined by the primary channel of distribution.

For example:

  • Youtube/on screen – Ratio: 16:9 ratio.
  • Instagram/Facebook stories – Ratio: 9:16 (1080px x 1920px)

Please check social media sites for most up to date specifications.

Quality

Video produced for the Leukaemia Foundation should be recorded at a minimum of and exported at 1080p HD quality.

  • Only when necessary (for slow-motion shots, cropping, etc.) should video be 720p.
  • No footage below 720p should be used unless it is archival footage.

 

Graphics & illustrations

Primary graphic device

Our cell-in-motion graphic device is an important part of our brand system.

Email [email protected] if you wish to use cell-in-motion graphics in your communications. The team have the files you need!

Colour
Composition

The cell-in-motion graphic can only be presented in one our six primary colours. Refer to the Colour chapter for more on this.

To create the cell, three different layers are placed over the top of each other. The two cell walls are both at 40% opacity whereas the inner cell is 100% opacity.

Illustrations

A comprehensive suite of illustrations and icons are available for use by all Leukaemia Foundation staff in our Resource Library (staff login required).

Most of our illustrations have been grouped around the three pillars of our strategy: access to information, treatment and supportive care. Click on the tiles below to go there (staff login required).

Care

Inform

Treat

If our staff Resource Library is missing what you need and you’re instead working on creating new illustrations for Leukaemia Foundation communications, please use the following design rules. All new Leukaemia Foundation illustrations need to be approved by the Brand and Communications team using [email protected].

Construction

Illustrations are constructed using simple, organic hand-drawn shapes and lines.

example of illustration construction

Where possible, use objects that relate to the Leukaemia Foundation and the blood cancer community as a reference, and utilise the organic circle shapes that exist with the ‘cell’

We are passionate, energetic and animated about what we do.
Where appropriate add flourishes to illustrate this. 

Colour

Illustration colour guide

The colour palette is based on the existing brand system and utilises the five core colours. To create greater flexibility, tints and shades of each core colour can be used in illustrations. Always use 100% solid colours. No opacities.

Subbrands 

When using colour in illustration for subbrands, you may introduce new colours as accents using 70% brand colours and 30% other.

Subbrand colour ratio

 

Skin tones

The Leukaemia Foundation cares about all Australians living with blood cancer and recognises the diversity in our communities.

We are inclusive of all nationalities and race and so we reflect this in a series of skin tones.

People

People living with blood cancer have specific characteristics which can help to illustrate their presence. We try to reflect those characteristics, where appropriate, in our illustrations, often using photography as our starting point.

Due to the disease and treatment, people living with blood cancer can often be pale in appearance and can have a port-a-cath in place, visible by the fabric ribbon tied around the neck. For children, a nasogastric tube, which is used to carry food and medicine to the stomach through the nose, may also be visible.

Some people lose their hair during treatment and choose to wear turbans, scarfs and beanies.

When illustrating people we do not use facial features eg eyes, mouth etc.

People examples  

What to avoid

Illustration Guidance