Kickstart Scheme brand guidelines
Updated 5 November 2021
Applies to England, Scotland and Wales
© Crown copyright 2021
This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.
Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.
This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/kickstart-scheme-employer-resources/kickstart-scheme-brand-guidelines
Introduction
The materials in this pack have been prepared to give you information and guidance on the campaign so you can amplify it through your own channels and networks.
About this toolkit
When it comes to telling people about the benefits Kickstart Scheme provides, we want to present a clear and consistent message.
Kickstart Scheme’s brand strategy reflects and promotes our values and culture, is conveyed through our standards of working and is represented by our campaign identity.
The campaign will align with the government’s key priorities, including creating a stronger, fairer economy and a more caring society, as well as the Government’s Plan for Jobs.
Campaign identity
Our campaign identity is the brand element that we use to represent Kickstart Scheme as a campaign in its own right.
The visible part is made up of four main elements: the logo, colours, fonts and graphic devices.
These must be recognisable and consistently used on all Kickstart Scheme communications.
This guide is designed to explain how and when to use these elements.
About the scheme
The objective
The government has introduced a new Kickstart Scheme to fund the direct creation of high quality jobs for young people at the highest risk of long-term unemployment. It will give young people the chance to build their confidence and skills in the workplace, and to gain experience that will improve their chances of going on to find long-term, sustainable work.
How it works
The government has introduced a new Kickstart Scheme in Great Britain, a £2 billion fund to create hundreds of thousands of high quality 6-month jobs aimed at those aged 16 to 24 who are on Universal Credit and are deemed to be at risk of long-term unemployment.
Funding available for each job will cover 100% of the relevant National Minimum Wage/ National Living Wage for 25 hours a week, plus the associated employer National Insurance contributions and employer minimum automatic enrolment contributions.
Our identity
Our identity is not just a logo. It is a design scheme composed of a number of core elements that come together to create a distinctive look and feel that makes the Kickstart Scheme brand instantly recognisable.
Using the brand guidance
The branding guidelines can be used for digital and print including: social media, internal communications and any other form of comms media that participating organisations wish to use.
They are designed to provide a consistent look and feel, ensuring the Kickstart Scheme brand is upheld throughout all communications.
Core elements and assets
Here you can find all the building blocks you need to help you develop compelling communications using the Kickstart Scheme brand. The following pages will guide you through the core elements.
Brand representation and usage
Describing your involvement in the Kickstart Scheme
You must not misrepresent your involvement in the Kickstart Scheme. You must not describe yourself as an approved Kickstart Scheme employer or gateway until you have had an application to take part in the Kickstart Scheme approved by us and have signed an agreement with us.
All references to Kickstart and the Kickstart Scheme must be honest and accurate and must not imply any false endorsement of your activities by us. You must not use the Kickstart or the Kickstart Scheme name, or anything confusingly similar, as or as part of your company name, product name or service name, or as or as part of any domain name, without our permission.
You must not apply for, or obtain, registration of any trade mark which comprises or is similar to the Kickstart or the Kickstart Scheme name or the Kickstart Scheme logo without our permission.
Using the Kickstart Scheme logo
The use of our Kickstart Scheme logo is restricted. You may only use the Kickstart Scheme logo in the following situations:
- where permitted under an agreement between you and us
Any use of the logo is subject to:
- it being used in accordance with the Kickstart Scheme brand guidelines
- it not being used to imply or suggest any unintended endorsement of your activities by DWP
- you not doing anything to prejudice our ownership of the logo or its reputation
All uses of the Kickstart Scheme logo must be accompanied with the ® symbol, and the following notice: “Kickstart Scheme” is a registered trade mark of the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.
The logo
Dynamic. In-motion. Positive. Reliable.
The two-tone Kickstart Scheme logo, pictured above, is our primary logo colourway. It should be used on white or light coloured backgrounds.
The logo is the most visible element of our identity – a signature across all the Kickstart Scheme communications’ visuals.
The black Kickstart Scheme logo, pictured above, should only be used on white or light coloured backgrounds, and where the two-tone logo is not practical.
We are very proud of it and we require that you follow these guidelines to ensure it always looks its best.
The white Kickstart Scheme logo should be used to brand videos and other collateral which have black or dark backgrounds, and where the two-tone logo isn’t practical.
Using the logo
Exclusion zone
To protect clarity and visual integrity of the logo, always maintain a clear space around it. This is called the ‘exclusion zone’.
Kickstart Scheme’s logo clear space is based on the height of the icon X (as illustrated below), which is equivalent to the height of the Kickstart wording.
Minimum size
Establishing a minimum size ensures that the impact and legibility of the logo is not compromised in application. Always use the logo at or above its minimum size.
Technically you can make the logo as big as you want. Just keep in mind that bigger isn’t always better. However, there are minimum sizes for logo applications on and off the screen.
The Kickstart Scheme logo width should never be smaller than Y = 120px in digital or Y = 42mm in print.
Logo misuse
It is important that the appearance of the logo remains consistent. The logo should not be misinterpreted, modified, or added to.
No attempt should be made to alter the logo in any way. Its orientation, colour and composition should remain as indicated in this document — there are no exceptions.
Take a look at the following examples to avoid logo misuse.
Do not alter the colour of the logo
Do not create an outline of the logo
Do not rotate the logo
Do not add effects onto the logo
Do not place the logo in a box
Do not distort the logo
The Kickstart Scheme symbol
In cases when the Kickstart Scheme brand has already been established, we could use the condensed version of the logo below.
The ‘KS’ symbol could also be used as an avatar on social media platforms.
Typography
Typography plays an important role in Kickstart Scheme brand recognition. It communicates a consistent, unified identity and gives instant personality to our written words.
Primary font
Kickstart Scheme’s primary typeface is Futura PT (available for free as part of any Adobe Creative Cloud plan). It’s clean, uncomplicated, distinctive, and legible. All weights except Light and Light Oblique are supported to give you flexibility in creating your communications.
Secondary font
Kickstart Scheme’s secondary typeface is Arial. We only use this font when Futura PT isn’t available.
Colours
Our colour palette is divided into 2 main tiers. The secondary colour palette is optional for the Employers, who could use our Kickstart Scheme logo on their branded promotional materials.
Primary colours - Main colours of the Kickstart Scheme logo
| Colour | Hex | RGB | CMYK |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 000000 | R 0 G 0 B 0 | C 0 M 0 Y 0 K 100 |
| Grey | 9e9c9c | R 158 G 156 B 156 | C 41 M 34 Y 34 K 1 |
Secondary colours - Corporate but brighter and more varied. Uses could include various online and offline collateral. Not to be applied on the logo.
| Colour | Hex | RGB | CMYK |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red | e64425 | R 230 G 68 B 37 | C 3 M 89 Y 100 K 0 |
| Purple | 8e004e | R 142 G 0 B 79 | C 36 M 100 Y 45 K 21 |
| Blue | 0d2972 | R 13 G 41 B 144 | C 100 M 94 Y 26 K 14 |
| Green | 00885c | R 3 G 136 B 91 | C 87 M 23 Y 80 K 8 |
| Orange | f69055 | R 246 G 144 B 85 | C 0 M 53 Y 72 K 0 |
| Pink | e97dc8 | R 233 G 125 B 200 | C 10 M 61 Y 0 K 0 |
| Light blue | 4c9ae4 | R 76 G 154 B 228 | C 65 M 29 Y 0 K 0 |
| Pale green | 94d4cc | R 148 G 136 B 91 | C 41 M 0 Y 23 K 0 |
Promotional materials
Here you can find examples of media content and graphical assets you need to help you develop compelling communications using the Kickstart Scheme brand.
To access the Kickstart Scheme campaign assets and brand guidelines, please visit the link below.
Download the Kickstart Scheme assets and brand guidelines
Contact kickstart.supportscheme@dwp.gov.uk with any queries about branding.