23 Brand Style Guide Examples and Essentials in 2024

Did you know that brand visibility is 3.5 times higher for consistently presented brands than those without consistent brand presentation?

Having a consistent brand presentation is crucial if you want to help people get familiar with your business. The best way to create a consistent design for your company is to create a brand style guide.

Need inspiration? Brand style guide examples can help spark ideas to create your memorable brand.

By cataloging the specific colors, typeface, logos, imagery, patterns, and taglines you wish to use in your branding, you can ensure your company remains consistent as it grows.

Keep reading to see 23 examples of brand style guides and get inspired!

What is a brand style guide?

A brand style guide is a document that outlines a brand’s core components of their design and company position.

It’s a universal guideline for all customers and corporations interacting with the brand and using its properties. A business can also use its branding guide to make visual decisions and keep corporate messaging consistent.

Consistent messaging and branding builds trust, leading to greater customer loyalty. Customers are more likely to work with someone they know will be reliable. With strong branding, your company can provide a similar experience regardless of how your customers interact with your brand.

23 Brand style guide examples from recognizable brands

Be inspired by these 23 brilliant brand style guide examples and learn the elements that make them stand out.

Skip to see the style guide of your favorite brand:

1. Starbucks
2.  Urban Outfitters
3. Spotify
4. Walmart
5. I Love New York
6. TikTok
7.  Apple App Store
8. Netflix
9. NASA
10. Discord
11.  Nike Pro Services
12. PlayStation 5
13.  Coca-Cola
14. Snapchat
15. Tripadvisor
16. GoDaddy
17. Hasbro
18. Liberty Mutual Insurance
19. Burger King
20. Honda
21. Hulu
22. Reddit
23. Ford

Brand style guide example #1: Starbucks

Starbucks’ siren logo and green color palette have made its brand instantly recognizable to many around the world. In addition to guidelines on core elements, this is one of the brand style guide examples that detail instructions for using creative assets across different channels and seasonal campaigns.

View the brand style guide here.

Brand style guide example #2: Urban Outfitters

The Urban Outfitters logo is always bold thanks to a brand style guide that covers photography, color, tone, and voice. Urban Outfitters is somewhat unique in that its branding guidelines also include information about its ideal customers and the company’s beliefs.

View the brand style guide here.

Brand style guide example #3: Spotify

Spotify’s iconic green circle is just one component of its branding guide.

The primary corporate palette includes three color codes, while the rest of the brand guidelines focus on rules for logo variation and album artwork.

View the full brand style guide here.

Brand style guide example #4: Walmart

It’s no surprise that a company as big and recognizable as Walmart has a thorough brand style guide. This brand style guide example includes logo, photography, illustrations, editorial style, and more.

View the branding style guide here.

Brand style guide example #5: I Love New York

I Love New York is another example of a deceptively simple brand backed by an extensive style guide. Its multiple-page style guide explains the company’s mission, tone, and target audience before discussing its logo positioning on merchandise.

View the brand style guide here.

Brand style guide example #6: TikTok

TikTok’s style guide is an in-depth look into how the company uses design to bring its brand to life.

This is one of the brand style guide examples that is interactive and delves into the company logo, co-branding, and typography. All the elements work together, reflecting the relentless energy of the app’s users.

View the brand style guide here.

Brand style guide example #7: Apple App Store

Apple provides thorough guidelines on how to use their branding for businesses that have an app in their store. From the button to use to how you position the badge, their detailed brand style guide makes it easy to promote your app in their store.

View the full style guide here.

Brand style guide example #8: Netflix

Netflix blazed a trail in the streaming world with a bold red logo.

The company’s current brand guidelines primarily focus on its logo and regulations about the size, placement, and color code.

View the brand style guide here.

Brand style guide example #9: NASA

At 220 pages, NASA’s branding style guide is a testament to the organization’s dedication to detail. The guide describes numerous logo placements, color uses, supporting designs, and branding rules for the space shuttles.

View the brand style guide here.

Brand style guide example #10: Discord

Discord’s brand is colorful and playful, much like the communities who use the platform. Its branding guide describes the correct usage of Discord’s typography, color, and icon named Clyde.

View the brand style guide here.

Brand style guide example #11: Nike Pro Services

Nike created their Pro Services Elite program to create an exclusive loyalty program for avid runners.

This program kept all of their iconic styling from their main brand, like their swoosh logo and block font, while also adding new elements to make the loyalty program a unique entity.

View the brand style guide here.

Brand style guide example #12: PlayStation 5

When PlayStation launched their PlayStation 5 console, they created a detailed style guideline on how to create promotional materials for the console. From how to abbreviate the name of the console to specs for using the iconic logo, this detailed brand style guide makes it easy for retailers to know how to promote their product.

Download and view the brand style guide here.

Brand style guide example #13: Coca-Cola

Known for their iconic red and white color scheme, Coca-Cola has a simple and straightforward style guide that shows how to use their branding across the globe. Their tell-all brand style guide includes information about their logo, typeface, and more.

View the brand style guide here.

Brand style guide example #14: Snapchat

Snapchat’s brand guidelines lay out everything you need to know about using their iconic logo.

From the spacing around the ghost to color choices, Snapchat details how to use their branding correctly.

View the brand style guide here.

Brand style guide example #15: Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor has detailed brand guidelines that make it easy for anyone to follow. From how to use their iconic “Ollie” owl logo to how to place partnership logos, Tripadvisor provides all the details someone needs to use their logo in all contexts.

View the brand style guide here.

Brand style guide example #16: GoDaddy

GoDaddy isn’t just good at creating memorable commercials (I mean, who can forget puppy, monkey, baby) — they also know how to make a clear and easy-to-follow set of guidelines for following their branding. From colors to use cases to what to avoid, you get everything you need to know about GoDaddy’s style.

View the brand style guide here.

Brand style guide example #17: Hasbro

Hasbro is an example of a brand style guide that keeps it simple.

They detail how to use their logo, what colors are part of their brand, and even the percentage of color usage for every color in their scheme.

View the brand style guide here.

Brand style guide example #18: Liberty Mutual Insurance

Liberty Mutual Insurance is one of the brand guide examples that provides a lot of information about their company’s unique branding style. They include everything from typography to color use cases to how to use their spokepersons, Doug and Limu, in marketing context!

View the brand style guide here.

Brand style guide example #19: Burger King

Burger King is an example of a brand style guide that provides the “why” of their design to help people better understand their positoning and brand choices. The style guidelines also include information on wording, logo design, and context for using different typefaces.

View the brand style guide here.

Brand style guide example #20: Honda

Honda is a great example of a brand guide because they provide a lot of information about how to create their branded look.

Their brand style guide shares how to use their logo in all contexts (ads, pages, etc.), how to create the branded look for advertising their vehicle models, and more.

View the brand style guide here.

Brand style guide example #21: Hulu

Up next on this list of examples of brand style guides is Hulu. Their style guide is filled with details and examples on how to use their logo, write top-notch positioning, and use color purposefully.

View the brand style guide here.

Brand style guide example #22: Reddit

Reddit lays out everything you need to know about their brand styling, from their logo to using their mascot Snoo. The provide details on color choices, terminology to use with their brand, and details on using their social icons.

View the brand style guide here.

Brand style guide example #23: Ford

To wrap up this list of brand guide examples, let’s talk about Ford.

Their brand style guide does a great job of detailing their Ford signature, color palette, and typography. They also provide examples of what to avoid with their branding.

View the brand style guide here.

What are the key elements of a brand style guide?

A brand style guide is more than a means to provide information about a corporate logo. It visually encompasses your company and its values.

The main elements to include in a brand style guide include your:

• Logo: A logo is one of the most essential parts of any branding guideline. Your guidelines should include a picture of your logo and examples of right and wrong uses.
• Color palette: The color palette your company uses is likely one of the more recognizable aspects of your brand. Your style guide should include specific details to keep it consistent, such as HEX or RGB color codes. Include secondary, neutral, and tertiary hues in your color palette to allow for consistent messaging and more logo creations.
• Typography: The typography you choose helps to support your brand across your entire website, including the links and copy. By specifying a primary and secondary font, you can ensure all logo variations are correct.
• Imagery and iconography: Approved imagery, icons, and custom symbols are key elements to include in a brand guide.
• Brand voice: A brand’s voice is the personality the company projects. By defining voice in your branding guide, you can guarantee your messaging remains the same regardless of which channel you use to connect with customers and other companies.

3 quick tips for creating the best brand style guide

Now that you look at examples of brand style guides and feel inspired, it’s time to start creating yours! Here are three quick tips to help you successfully create your business’s brand style guide:

1. Name your brand’s colors

When you choose your brand’s colors, you often use generic color names like “orange” or “yellow.” To further solidify your branding, give your colors unique names tied to your brand.

NASA, for example, could name their iconic blue color as “Neptune,” to further their branding of being a space-oriented organization. Adding this extra naming element can help enhance your brand for those using your guidelines.

2. Create branded templates

When you have an established brand style guideline, it’s good to create branded templates with it. Creating templates for marketing materials makes it easy for anyone on your team to create a branded element for your business.

You can create templates for ad materials, graphics, and more.

3. Cover branding for all channels

When you create your brand style guide, it’s important that you create branded marketing materials for all channels. Whether you run ads, create custom landing pages, or post on Instagram, it’s important that your brand style guide includes guidelines and templates for all marketing channels to make it easy to keep your branding consistent across your website.

Create a brand style guide that builds trust

Creating a brand style guide is one of the best ways to keep your messaging consistent. If you’re new to branding guides or still trying to nail down a voice, it can be challenging to know where to start.

The team at WebFX is here to help.

From content marketing to web design, we’re ready to solidify your brand voice across multiple channels. With 28 years of experience and 500 digital marketing experts on our team, we will provide well-researched and thorough solutions when you work with us.

Interested in learning more about how we can benefit your company? Contact us today to speak with one of our strategists!