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Visibility guidelines for Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan)

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Introduction

The Government of Canada is committed to providing transparent information to Canadians about expenditures for its programs and services. Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan) shares this commitment to inform Canadians in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba – where its services are located – to ensure transparency about programs and how the department spends public funds.

As such, proper acknowledgement must be given to PrairiesCan for the projects and activities that the department funds, which include:

This guideline provides direction for the use of PrairiesCan identity in accordance with the Policy on Communications and Federal Identity, and outlines expectations for use of PrairiesCan graphic identifiers when acknowledgement is required.

Promotional materials

Materials that communicate or promote projects or initiatives undertaken with support from PrairiesCan must acknowledge this support. These materials may include:

List of promotional materials: - websites and social media; - signage; - reports and publications; - public displays; - advertising (print, TV, radio, web); - featured articles; - news releases

Why these guidelines matter

These guidelines ensure our federal identifiers are applied correctly and consistently within all communications, on all platforms, and through all media.

By following these guidelines when using the PrairiesCan identifiers, you help us increase our credibility, enhance our authority and, most importantly, make PrairiesCan more worthy of trust in the eyes of Canadians and those we serve in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.

Federal government identifiers

The PrairiesCan’s signature consists of the Canada flag symbol and the department’s applied title in both official languages. It is commonly referred to as the Federal Identity Program (FIP) signature.

English FIP signature

Four examples of the English FIP signatures: - red Canada flag with black text that reads “Prairies Economic Development Canada” set on a white background; - black Canada flag with black text on a white background; - red Canada flag with white text on a black background; - white Canada flag with white text on a black background

French FIP signature

Four examples of the French FIP signatures: - red Canada flag with black text that reads “Prairies Economic Development Canada” set on a white background; - black Canada flag with black text on a white background; - red Canada flag with white text on a black background; - white Canada flag with white text on a black background

 

The Canada wordmark is the global symbol of the Government of Canada.

Four examples of the Canada wordmark: - with a red Canada flag and black text that reads “Canada” on a white background; - with a black Canada flag and black text on a white background; - with a red Canada flag and white text on a black background; - with a white Canada flag and white text on a black background

Rules for acknowledgment

For proper acknowledgement, the use of federal government identifiers, specifically the PrairiesCan FIP signature and the Government of Canada wordmark, is mandatory.

The Canada wordmark must be used whenever the PrairiesCan FIP signature is used.

Option 1

For Option 1 FIP layout, the PrairiesCan FIP signature and Canada wordmark are arranged horizontally, with PrairiesCan’s FIP signature on the left and the Canada wordmark on the right. The top and bottom of the signature aligns with the top and bottom of the lower case letters of the Canada wordmark.

Option 2

For Option 2 FIP layout, the PrairiesCan FIP signature and Canada wordmark are stacked vertically, with PrairiesCan placed directly above the Canada wordmark. The Canada wordmark aligns with the left of the signature letters, andthe lower case letters of the wordmark are the same height as the PrairiesCan signature.

When federal identifiers are used, they are generally to be accompanied by an acknowledgement line so it is clearly understood that the materials are not a Government of Canada product.

The Canada wordmark must be used whenever the PrairiesCan FIP signature is used; however, it is acceptable to use an acknowledgement line with the Government of Canada wordmark only (i.e., omit the PrairiesCan FIP signature).

Sample Acknowledgement Lines

Examples

The first example reads: “Supported by the Government of Canada through Prairies Economic Development Canada:” with the Canada wordmark, black on white with a red flag below.

The second example reads: “This initiative is supported by Prairies Economic Development Canada:” with the Canada wordmark, black on white with a red flag below.

The third example reads: “Supported by: Prairies Economic Development Canada” followed by vertical separator bar, followed by the Canada wordmark, black on white with a red flag.

Alternatively, it is permissible to use the following phrases on one line, with the PrairiesCan FIP signature and the Canada wordmark placed below:

Examples

The first example reads: “Supported by:”, with the FIP beneath. The FIP consists of the PrairiesCan signature preceding the Canada Wordmark, with the top and bottom of the signature aligning with the top and bottom of the lower case letters of the wordmark (Option 1 FIP layout above).

The second example reads: “With the participation of:”, with the FIP beneath. The FIP consists of the PrairiesCan signature above the Canada Wordmark, with the left of the signature letters aligning with the left of wordmark. The lower case letters of the wordmark are the same height as the PrairiesCan signature. (Option 2 FIP layout above).

Presentation of federal identifiers

Only authorized versions are to be used and can not be altered in any way.

Option 2 FIP layout with green flag and lettering (not permitted)

Identifiers are to be displayed in generous open space as two distinct elements.

Oversized Canada wordmark crowding PrairiesCan signature, with a shared Canada flag (not permitted)

Identifiers should not appear on anything but a solid, high-contrast background.

PrairiesCan signature against a complex, low-contrast background (not permitted), followed by PrairiesCan signature against a solid, high-contrast background (permitted)

Identifiers may not form part of a headline, phrase, or sentence.

The words “Supported by the Government of Canada”, where the Canada wordmark (image) replaces the “Canada” text.

For English materials, the FIP signature used should have the English title first.

Sample image shows PrairiesCan signature at the bottom, with the English name preceding the French name.

For French materials, the French title should come first on the FIP signature.

Sample image shows PrairiesCan signature at the bottom, with the French name preceding the English name.

The Canada wordmark must be slightly (visibly) larger than the FIP signature and, if presented in stacked form, the Canada wordmark must align with the department name text on the left.

The PrairiesCan signature precedes the Canada Wordmark, with the top and bottom of the signature aligning with the top and bottom of the lower case letters of the wordmark.
The PrairiesCan signature is above the Canada Wordmark, with the left of the signature letters aligning with the left of wordmark. The lower case letters of the wordmark are the same height as the PrairiesCan signature.

As a general rule, federal graphic identifiers appear at either the top or bottom of an item (be it signage, website, print advertisement or report cover).

Sample image shows PrairiesCan signature at the bottom of the image.

Website

All web ads (banner ads, pop-up ads or other) should reference the support of PrairiesCan with an acknowledgement line and the Canada wordmark if space permits.

“Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan)” text or the PrairiesCan FIP signature is to be hyperlinked to PrairiesCan’s website at www.canada.ca/en/prairies-economic-development.html, and the Government of Canada wordmark is to be hyperlinked to the Canada site, www.canada.ca

Radio

For radio advertising, a tag line such as "Proudly supported by Prairies Economic Development Canada" must be included at the conclusion of the spot.

Example: “The (xx project or fund) is funded by the Government of Canada through Prairies Economic Development Canada.”

Conditions

The FIP signature and Canada wordmark are trademark protected and may only be used with permission.

All communications must accurately reference that the project or program is being funded or supported by Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan).

All uses of PrairiesCan and Government of Canada identifiers must be reviewed and approved by PrairiesCan’s Communications Branch prior to publication.

Contact

Please contact a PrairiesCan office to request the federal identifiers needed, for more information and guidance in the usage of the identifiers, or for review and approval of said identifiers in use.

Wait, what is this then?

You may have noticed these new design elements appearing in some of PrairiesCan’s communications materials, including presentations and social media posts.

PrairiesCan design elements, including a hexagon composed of thick blue and green lines, and the word “PrairiesCan”, where the “Prairies” portion appears in thick characters and the “Can” portion appears in thin characters.

While these elements have been created to help PrairiesCan establish itself as a new regional development agency and enhance it’s brand awareness and visual identity, they cannot be used as replacements for the PrairiesCan FIP signature and Canada wordmark.

Sample acknowledgement, where the PrairiesCan FIP signature has been replaced with a design element (not permitted)Sample image, where the PrairiesCan FIP signature has been replaced with a design element (not permitted)

 

The Inside Story Behind PrairiesCan’s Visual Identity

The PrairiesCan visual identity has meaning. Explaining it can be broken down into the following parts:

PrairiesCan wordmark

The interplay between bold and light text within the same font family is modern and eye-catching. The bold part specifically intends to highlight our dedication to the Prairies.

Hexagonal graphic element

The hexagonal shape is inspired by the honeycomb pattern found within beehives. Like bees within a beehive, each person at PrairiesCan plays an integral part in working alongside teammates, proponents and community members to collectively and collaboratively build the Prairies economy.

The upward arrow within the icon represents forward motion, momentum and inclusive economic growth.

Colours

The blue, green and turquoise colour pallet was inspired by a common natural landscape seen throughout the Prairie Provinces.

For PrairiesCan staff: use of PrairiesCan’s visual identity is outlined in PrairiesCan’s Departmental Branding Guidelines.

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