Contactless Brand Guidelines

Contactless Brand Guidelines
June 2015
American Express® Contactless Guidelines
To assist in creating consistent communications across countries,
products and communication channels, we have developed guidelines that
provide high-level guidance on how to communicate contactless capability
and acceptance.
Please note:
Expresspay is no longer the brand name used to communicate American Express
contactless functionality to American Express Card Members (“Cardmembers”) and
should NOT appear in consumer-facing communications, nor on American Express®
Cards (“Cards”). Expresspay is ONLY used to reference the American Express contactless
specification in B2B communications to Issuers, Acquirers and Merchants. For
communicating contactless functionality to Card Members, please use the guidelines
outlined in this document.
CONTENTS
Section 1
Introduction
2
American Express® Contactless Guidelines
3
About American Express — the Brand
4
American Express Strategic Guiding Principles
5
The Contactless Symbol and Indicator
Section 2
American Express–Branded
Contactless Graphic Identifiers
7Merchant Acceptance Materials
8
Merchant Point-of-Sale Terminals
9Cards
10Versions
Section 3
American Express Blue Box
13Overview
14 Dos and Don’ts
Addendum
16Introduction
17Overview
18 Contactless Symbol Locks Up to the 4DBC
AMERICAN EXPRESS CONTACTLESS GUIDELINES
PAGE 2
About American Express—the Brand
American Express is a “masterbrand,” which is an organizational strategy
of going to market with a single corporate brand across all communications,
supported by a limited number of related sub-brands.
Business unit, portfolio and product communications add to the tremendous
equity of the American Express masterbrand by maintaining a familiar look
and feel. All channels should work together to deliver a consistent image and
clearly emphasize the key tenets of the American Express brand.
A unified American Express masterbrand will:
– Present a unified view of the organization to the marketplace
– Make the organization, not the individual products, the hero
– Elevate the value of our iconic symbols, namely the Blue Box and
the logotype
– Significantly reduce the investment required to launch and market
new products
AMERICAN EXPRESS CONTACTLESS GUIDELINES
PAGE 3
American Express Strategic Guiding Principles
The American Express Brand Identity System must:
1. Elevate the American Express masterbrand
2. Be easy for customers to understand and navigate
3. Bring consistency to how offerings are presented
4.Be flexible enough to remain relevant as business
needs change
AMERICAN EXPRESS CONTACTLESS GUIDELINES
PAGE 4
INTRODUCTION
The Contactless Symbol and Indicator
The Universal Contactless Symbol
and Indicator are owned by EMVCo,
LLC. EMVCo is the standards
body for contact and contactless
specifications and is jointly owned
by American Express, Discover,
JCB, MasterCard, UnionPay and Visa.
The Universal Contactless Symbol
and Indicator icons help to identify
contactless terminals and payment
vehicles.
These icons are now used globally
and are easily recognized by
consumers in markets where
contactless transactions have
become common. American Express
licenses the use of both the Universal
Contactless Symbol and Indicator
from EMVCo, and does not govern
regulations regarding their use.
For more detailed information
regarding the use of the Universal
Contactless Symbol and Indicator
or to download the artwork and
specifications, visit www.emvco.com
and search “contactless symbol” or
“contactless indicator.”
The Universal Contactless Symbol should only
appear on terminals with contactless capability.
AMERICAN EXPRESS CONTACTLESS GUIDELINES
The Universal Contactless Indicator appears
on the back or front of an American Express®
Card to indicate contactless technology.
PAGE 5
Section 2
American Express–Branded Contactless Graphic Identifiers
AMERICAN EXPRESS CONTACTLESS GUIDELINES
PAGE 6
AMERICAN EXPRESS–BRANDED CONTACTLESS GRAPHIC IDENTIFIERS
Merchant Acceptance Materials
American Express has developed
a branded graphic identifier to
communicate the availability of
contactless functionality to
American Express® Card Members.
There are two approved versions
of American Express–Branded
Universal Contactless Indicators.
These lockups should be used in
consumer communications and
merchant acceptance materials,
such as window decals or counter
signage, where contactless
functionality is available.
The elements within the graphic
identifier lockups should not be
manipulated or sized separately.
AMERICAN EXPRESS CONTACTLESS GUIDELINES
BRANDED
DESCRIPTION AND USAGE
VERSION ONE
BLUE BOX LOGO WITH CONTACTLESS INDICATOR
This is the standard version that should be used in instances where
consumers are already familiar with contactless technology and the
contactless indicator. In this version, the American Express Blue Box
logo and Universal Contactless Indicator are locked up to create a
single, recognizable unit.
VERSION TWO
BLUE BOX LOGO WITH CONTACTLESS INDICATOR AND LETTERING
The American Express Blue Box logo, Universal Contactless Indicator,
and the word CONTACTLESS are locked up to create a single,
recognizable unit. This lockup can be used in markets where
consumers are unfamiliar with contactless technology and the
Contactless Indicator.
PAGE 7
AMERICAN EXPRESS–BRANDED CONTACTLESS GRAPHIC IDENTIFIERS
Merchant Point-of-Sale Terminals
For merchant point-of-sale terminals,
the Contactless Symbol and Blue Box
should appear, communicating that
contactless functionality is available
to American Express® Card Members.
For more detailed information
regarding the use of the Universal
Contatless Symbol and Indicator
or to download the artwork and
specifications, visit www.emvco.com
and search “contactless symbol” or
“contactless indicator.”
The Universal Contactless Symbol should only appear on terminals with contactless capability.
AMERICAN EXPRESS CONTACTLESS GUIDELINES
PAGE 8
AMERICAN EXPRESS–BRANDED CONTACTLESS GRAPHIC IDENTIFIERS
Cards
The Universal Contactless Indicator is
used on the Card to indicate contactless
functionality to Card Members.
Contact your Global Advertising and
Brand Management resource for
more details on how the Contactless
Indicator may be used within Card art.
For more detailed information
regarding the use of the Universal
Contactless Symbol and Indicator
or to download the artwork and
specifications, visit www.emvco.com
and search “contactless symbol” or
“contactless indicator.”
The Universal Contactless Indicator appears
on the American Express® Card to indicate
contactless technology.
In some markets the Universal Contactless
Indicator also appears on the front of
the American Express® Card next to the
4DBC. See addendum on page 15 for Front
Indicator Guidelines.
AMERICAN EXPRESS CONTACTLESS GUIDELINES
PAGE 9
AMERICAN EXPRESS–BRANDED CONTACTLESS GRAPHIC IDENTIFIERS
Version One
The American Express Blue Box
logo and Universal Contactless
Indicator have been locked up to
create a single, recognizable unit.
1/3X
The lockup should be increased or
decreased as a unit, proportionately,
and should not be manipulated or its
elements sized separately.
The minimum size is based on the
Blue Box minimum size of 0.375"
wide.
See page 13 in these guidelines
for additional information on the
American Express Blue Box logo
usage. Digital art is downloadable
from the Brand Site.
.375"
(9.5 mm)
.275"
(7 mm)
X
CONTACTLESS INDICATOR
WITH BLUE BOX LOGO
AMERICAN EXPRESS CONTACTLESS GUIDELINES
1/3X
1/3X
1/3X
X
1/3X
1/3X
MINIMUM SIZE
REQUIRED CLEAR SPACE
The lockup must never appear smaller than
.375" high, which includes the minimum size
allowed for the Blue Box logo.
Always use the recommended clear
space of 1/3 the width of the Blue Box
to maintain optimum legibility and
avoid interference from nearby text.
PAGE 10
AMERICAN EXPRESS–BRANDED CONTACTLESS GRAPHIC IDENTIFIERS
Version Two
The American Express Blue Box
logo, Universal Contactless Indicator
and CONTACTLESS text have
been locked up to create a single,
recognizable unit. Use this version
instead of version one in situations
where consumers are unfamiliar
with contactless technology and the
Universal Contactless Indicator.
The lockup should be increased or
decreased as a unit, proportionately,
and should not be manipulated or
its elements sized separately.
X
1/3X
.375"
(9.5 mm)
.5"
(12.7 mm)
.275"
(7 mm)
1/6X
1/3X
1/3X
CONTACTLESS INDICATOR
WITH BLUE BOX LOGO
The minimum size is based on the
Blue Box minimum size of 0.375"
wide.
1/3X
1/3X
MINIMUM SIZE
REQUIRED CLEAR SPACE
The lockup must never appear smaller than
.5" high, which includes the minimum size
allowed for the Blue Box logo.
Always use the recommended clear space
of 1/3 the width of the Blue Box to maintain
optimum legibility and avoid interference
from nearby text.
See page 13 in these guidelines
for additional information on the
American Express Blue Box logo
usage. Digital art is downloadable
from the Brand Site.
AMERICAN EXPRESS CONTACTLESS GUIDELINES
PAGE 11
Section 3
American Express Blue Box
AMERICAN EXPRESS CONTACTLESS GUIDELINES
PAGE 12
AMERICAN EXPRESS BLUE BOX
Overview
The Blue Box is one of the most
recognizable elements of the
American Express visual identity.
Following these specifications ensures
that this key component of our visual
platform consistently reinforces the
American Express brand.
The American Express Blue Box
must appear as a signature across
all communications produced by
American Express. Digital art is
downloadable from the Brand Site.
Use care when placing the signature in
layouts. Always maintain the required
clear space and avoid placing the
signature on complex backgrounds or
colors that are too close in value to the
blues in the signature.
FOR PRINT APPLICATIONS
(SPECIAL NOTES)
Always use the correct electronic
artwork for the signature based on the
print method (4-color, spot color, or
black-and-white printing).
1/3X
1/3X
1/3X
X
1/3X
.5"
(12.7 mm)
.375"
(9.5 mm)
REQUIRED CLEAR SPACE
RECOMMENDED SIZE
MINIMUM SIZE
Always use the recommended clear space
of 1/3 the width of the Blue Box to maintain
optimum legibility and avoid interference
from nearby text.
For print, 0.5" wide is
recommended.
The Blue Box must
never appear smaller
than 0.375" wide.
Never reduce the signature smaller
than the minimum size of 0.375".
AMERICAN EXPRESS CONTACTLESS GUIDELINES
PAGE 13
AMERICAN EXPRESS BLUE BOX
Dos and Don’ts
These examples illustrate correct
and incorrect uses of the Blue Box
signature.
DOS
The quick brown fox jumped
over the lazy dog. The quick
brown fox jumped over the
lazy dog. The quick brown fox
jumped over the lazy dog. The
quick brown fox jumped.
Use the
approved
signature
artwork.
Use gradient
and tonal
backgrounds
behind the
signature.
Use contrasting
background colors
to enhance the
contrast of the
signature. AE
Core Blue is an
acceptable
background color.
Maintain the proper clear space around the
Blue Box signature.
DON'TS
REALIZE THE POTENTIAL
Don’t place the
signature on flat
blue backgrounds
that are too close
in color to the
Blue Box.
Don’t place
the signature on
backgrounds
that compete.
AMERICAN EXPRESS CONTACTLESS GUIDELINES
Don’t violate the clear space of the
Blue Box signature.
Don’t crop
the signature.
When scaling
the signature,
scale it
proportionately
and don’t distort
it on either axis.
Don’t place the
Blue Box too close to
the edge of the page.
PAGE 14
Contactless Symbol on the Card Front Guidelines
Revised April, 2015
Please call or email your local Global Card Issuance (GCI) contact to confirm if your market has launched
American Express Cards with the contactless symbol on the front.
AMERICAN EXPRESS CONTACTLESS GUIDELINES
PAGE 15
Introduction
The purpose of these guidelines is to provide GCI and card manufacturers standards and
specifications for the placement of the Contactless Symbol on the American Express card fronts.
The Universal Contactless Symbol is used worldwide to signal contactless payment and is easily
recognized by consumers in markets where contactless payments have become common.
They are designed to lock up to the 4DBC and meant to be ultragraphed. To maximize its visibility, the
Contactless Symbol must always appear in a color that provides sufficient contrast against the card
background color. Color options include black, white or silver. Fixed positioning is required.
Please check with S+G/GABM for cards not listed here.
Important note: The templates have been revised since the original release date July 2014. The
Contactless Symbol and 4DBC lockup has been moved up to make more clear space from the
embossing.
©2015 AMERICAN EXPRESS : PREPARED BY SIEGEL + GALE NY
042015
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Overview
Original Positions (4DBC only)
New Positions (Contactless and 4DBC)
7997
Position A
Position B
7997
Position C
7997
Position A (New position
replacing old A and D)
Position B
Position C
7997
7997
7997
7997
Position D
©2015 AMERICAN EXPRESS : PREPARED BY SIEGEL + GALE NY
042015
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Contactless Symbol Locks Up to the 4DBC
Templates
1.7mm
4.0mm 6.6mm 10.6mm
preferred Contactless Symbol position,
size: 4.0mm x 4.5mm
preferred batch code position,
Univers Condensed, 11 pt
7997
1.7mm
4.5mm
3759 876543 21001
2.4mm
00/00
00
25.7mm
26.5mm
AMEX CARDMEMBER
Position A
Follow Position A for the card products below:
• The American Express® GRCC Platinum Card
• The American Express® GRCC White Card
• The American Express® GRCC Platinum Business Card
• The American Express® GRCC Blue/Green Card
• The American Express® GRCC Platinum Lite Card
• The American Express® GRCC Platinum Reserve Card*
• The American Express® GRCC Gold Card
• The American Express® GRCC Gold Business Card
*Original Position D was used for this card. Now it’s replaced
with new Position A.
• The American Express® GRCC Green Card
• The American Express® GRCC Blue Card
Color options: black, white or silver, S+G/GABM to approve.
©2015 AMERICAN EXPRESS : PREPARED BY SIEGEL + GALE NY
042015
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Contactless Symbol Locks Up to the 4DBC
Templates
1.7mm
4.0mm 6.6mm 7.5mm
preferred Contactless Symbol position,
size: 4.0mm x 4.5mm
preferred batch code position,
Univers Condensed, 11 pt
7997
1.7mm
4.5mm
3759 876543 21001
2.4mm
00/00
00
25.7mm
26.5mm
AMEX CARDMEMBER
Position B
Follow Position B for the card products below:
• The American Express® Charge Green Card
• The American Express® Business Gold Card
• The American Express® Charge Gold Card
• The American Express® Business Platinum Card
• The American Express® Charge Platinum Card
• The American Express® Corporate Green Card
• The American Express® Charge White Card
• The American Express® Corporate Gold Card
• The American Express® Charge Red Card (English Red)
• The American Express® Corporate Platinum Card
• The American Express® Plum Card
• The American Express® Corporate Meeting Card
• The American Express® Black Centurion Card
• The American Express® Corporate Purchasing Card
• The American Express® Business Green Card
Color options: black, white or silver, S+G/GABM to approve.
©2015 AMERICAN EXPRESS : PREPARED BY SIEGEL + GALE NY
042015
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Contactless Symbol Locks Up to the 4DBC
Templates
1.7mm
4.0mm 6.6mm 2.7mm
preferred Contactless Symbol position,
size: 4.0mm x 4.5mm
preferred batch code position,
Univers Condensed, 11 pt
7997
1.7mm
4.5mm
3759 876543 21001
2.4mm
00/00
00
25.7mm
26.5mm
AMEX CARDMEMBER
Position C
Follow Position C for the card products below:
• The American Express® Blue Card
• The American Express® Corporate Green Co-brand Card
• The American Express® Corporate Gold Co-brand Card
• Most of The American Express® Custom designed Co-brand Card
Color options: black, white or silver, S+G/GABM to approve.
©2015 AMERICAN EXPRESS : PREPARED BY SIEGEL + GALE NY
042015
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Contactless Symbol Locks Up to the 4DBC
Placement
4.0mm
1.7mm
6.6mm
0.9mm
7997
4.5mm
2.7mm
0.9mm
Note: For use with preprinted 4DBC inventory and unique placement on certain co-brand cards.
©2015 AMERICAN EXPRESS : PREPARED BY SIEGEL + GALE NY
042015
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