Introducing the brand

The RSC brand is a critical part of the success of our organisation. We have developed the brand to ensure that we present a relevant and credible face to all of our audiences, and to ensure that we deliver all materials to an equally high quality.

Background

'The Royal Society of Chemistry' was becoming increasingly hard to work with as our primary brand, particularly as we expand our activities more beyond the UK. Its colloquial presentation made us feel old fashioned and out of touch, and while we had moved in part to a logo that focused on 'RS•C', the overall sophistication was still not to the level we required.

Brand overview

Our new brand is designed to ensure that we are relevant to the markets we operate in, and that we are perceived as a modern, progressive organisation by everyone who comes into contact with us.

The new brand uses 'RSC' as the primary identifier for the organisation (although 'The Royal Society of Chemistry' is still acceptable in text usage in some instances). To ensure that our identity is always associated with chemical science, the strapline 'Advancing the chemical sciences' is an integral part of the logo itself.

Our brand is based on a broad-reaching set of principles and design standards: 'badging' something with the logo does not make it on-brand! The brand is delivered via a combination of the logo, colours, photographic style, and in particular the layout structure of materials.

The brand is designed to be accessible, easy to apply, and flexible enough to span all audiences and types of material, from exhibition stands through literature to online communications. Some of the key attributes of the brand are as follows:

  • Simple: Our materials should use no unnecessary decoration, ornamentation or styling.
  • Strong and clear: Short, simple messages and bold visual content.
  • Confident: Strong typography, plenty of space, not afraid to be direct.
  • Focused: A clear purpose, uncluttered, and a clear call to action where appropriate.
  • Relevant: Visual focus on people and activities - chemistry in everyday life.