Start something campaign

All faculties, units, and initiatives are welcome to incorporate the Start something elements when your project is representing or speaking to the spirit of entrepreneurial thinking, and how that work ladders up to UCalgary’s brand promise.

The Start something elements should be used with purpose, not as a random visual element and should always have a connection to the greater Start something message.

Questions about using these elements in your project? Please contact us.

The UC spark symbolizes the spirit of Start something and the entrepreneurial university. It represents the energy, excitement, and innovation that is a part of what we do here at UCalgary. It also speaks to the connections that make up our community and embodies how we come together as one. Please contact us if you would like to request spark files.

The spark is not a logo and should not be used in place of the UCalgary logo.

Primary sparks

The primary UC sparks based on the UCalgary brand colours of red and gold. The sparks highlight the letters U and C to represent the University of Calgary. These sparks should be used for campaign materials that represent the university as a whole, and are the preferred sparks for usage.

The U and C shapes in the spark should always be visible. The spark can be rotated +/- 15 degrees, but should not rotate past those points. The spark should be at least 1 inch (70 px) wide. If needing a smaller spark, please use a secondary spark.

Secondary sparks

The secondary sparks are simplified versions of the primary spark. They are for use in single-colour materials, such as black-and-white print materials, or when the spark needs to be smaller than 1 inch (70 px) wide. 

Like the primary sparks, the U and C shapes should always be visible, and the spark should not be rotated more than +/- 15 degrees.

Use with photography

Large, primary UC sparks can be incorporated into images, highlighting UCalgary students, faculty and staff  who are showing entrepreneurial spirit. When the spark is intended as a standout element of the image, the colours within the photo need to be muted to allow the spark to be the primary focus.

UCalgary photographs with the spark already added in are available on the UCalgary photography DAM. (Use search term "Creative Assets" to filter images. Alternatively, find the "Creative Assets" folder in the left menu. It is the first folder nested under the "UCalgary Photos" folder.)

For images where there isn't space for the large spark to be included, the colour of the image needs to stay at full saturation, or for portraits, the spark can sit as a small icon on top of the image. The image's original colour does not need to be altered. A light or dark gradient may be added to help the spark stand out from the image.

To create vibrancy, patterns have been created for use with the campaign. These patterns can be used as a background element on their own, and incorporate the shapes found in the primary spark icons. Please contact us for pattern files.

Patterns can be used in a variety of ways. They can be full-bleed backgrounds, like in the presentation templates, or they can be added as a border element, like the top bar on the letterhead template.

The “Start something.” wordmark is available in one- and two-line versions to suit a variety of formats and assets. The wordmark is available in black, white and red, as well as in a lockup format with the UC spark. To request the wordmark files, please contact us.

University of Calgary logo lockups

In cases where “Start something.” is not the main headline, but there is a desire for it to be used in the creative elsewhere, the wordmark and University of Calgary logo can be locked up and placed together. Please contact us to request the lockup files.

UC spark and wordmark lockups

The UC spark and campaign wordmark can be used together in a variety of situations, depending on the channel and the overall message. However, if looking for a simplified file that contains both elements, spark and wordmark lockups have been created for use.

Use these short, informative videos if you need content on a digital screen or at an event booth. Find Start something outro bumpers and transitions for building your own videos here.