--- bcp_version: "2.0.0" file_type: visual last_updated: "2026-10-26" parent: https://registry.encodedbrands.ai/the-australian-835000db/.well-known/brand.md --- # The Australian — Visual identity There are two kinds of evidence here, and every block is labelled with one of them: - **brand_declared**: stated in the supplied *Marketing Brand Guidelines – The Australian* ("Brand Guidelines 2026 — Updated July") **[G]**, §02 Logo, §03 Brand Mark, §04 Colour, §05 Typography, §07 Imagery, §08 QR Codes, §09 Design. These rules govern **marketing** creative: press ads, social, digital placements and QR codes. They are not rules for editorial page design. - **observed**: measured from the live website on 2026-10-26, either rendered CSS on https://www.theaustralian.com.au/ or the masthead file as served. These are observations, **not official rules**. Nothing here was sampled from photographs. The masthead must never be redrawn. ## Known conflicts (read before using any value) 1. **Oxford (blue) is inconsistent inside [G].** The guide gives HEX `#004563` (= RGB 0 69 99) but RGB `0 69 69` (= `#004545`) and CMYK `100 0 0 75`. HEX is used below as the digital value, but the conflict is unresolved. 2. **The served masthead differs from the declared values.** The logo SVG served on 2026-10-26 fills with `#ED5843` (red) and `#00405C` (blue). [G] declares Ember `#F15B46` and Oxford `#004563`. Section headings on the site also render in `#00405C`. Use the official asset file as served rather than recolouring it to either set of values. 3. **Slate:** [G] gives HEX `#92A1AA` but RGB `146 161 179` (= `#92A1B3`). 4. **Ice:** [G] gives HEX `#D8E7EE` but RGB `85 91 93` (= `#555B5D`). These are very different colours, so treat Ice as unconfirmed. 5. **Scope of "Digital only":** in [G] the label sits beside the secondary palette heading. It is unclear whether it applies to the whole secondary palette or to some swatches. ## Logo ```yaml logo: primary_wordmark_web: evidence_status: observed note: "Two-colour wordmark as served in the site header (alt text 'The Australian'). Tagline not present in this file." variants: - format: svg url: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/wp-content/themes/newscorpau-news-dna/dist/images/logos/theaustralian.svg sha256: b822cbf1297837b0bb516662c7b22874ca839410a6dc9822f8345aacbfed63fd width: 1008 height: 80 background: light purpose: "Website header masthead (viewBox 0 0 1008 80). Fills observed: #ED5843, #00405C." favicon: evidence_status: observed variants: - format: png url: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/wp-content/themes/newscorpau-news-dna/dist/images/favicons/theaustralian-16x16.png sha256: b7e0816c9fb85978ec70cf49c5893a6d02bc8c4038b147f0ac23e0627ae5781d width: 16 height: 16 - format: png url: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/wp-content/themes/newscorpau-news-dna/dist/images/favicons/theaustralian-32x32.png sha256: b434514cf8a8590fdf28bcb7040056c80836d6ba50a8701d22121a476cc7eaca width: 32 height: 32 - format: png url: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/wp-content/themes/newscorpau-news-dna/dist/images/favicons/theaustralian-48x48.png sha256: 3044bc2cf8428de3c08a72a42b34442a4dc834d6fe8ffd3015edf0a0ddf18641 width: 48 height: 48 logo_usage: evidence_status: brand_declared source: "[G] §02 Logo Use, §09 Design" generation_policy: official_assets_only declared_variants_without_public_files: - "Primary logo (with tagline)" - "Logo for dark backgrounds" - "Digital-placement logo for when the red in the tagline is not legible (one-colour tagline)" - "Logo for red backgrounds" - "The Weekend Australian logo: never add the tagline (TWA is a sub-brand)" alignment: "Right-aligned or centred in new designs. Always right-aligned in Press Mini Strip. Left-aligned appears in the Press Medium Strip template." forbidden_modifications: - Adding the tagline to The Weekend Australian logo - Using a variant other than the declared one for each background (light, dark, red, small digital) package_additions: evidence_status: inferred note: "Added by this package; not stated in [G]." items: - Redrawing, retyping or approximating the masthead - Recolouring the wordmark outside the declared variants - Using the masthead to imply that The Australian authored or endorses content approved_backgrounds: - type: solid_color note: Light backgrounds (two-colour logo) - type: solid_color note: Dark backgrounds (dark-background variant) - type: solid_color note: Ember red (red-background variant) clear_space: "Not stated in the converted guidelines text. Gap." minimum_size: "Not stated. [G] says the brand's creative agency holds templates with exact sizing per placement. Gap." ``` **Tagline wording:** [G] refers to a tagline on the primary logo but its wording did not survive text conversion. It is not inferred here. Gap. ### Brand mark: the Australia map (brand_declared, [G] §03) - A map of Australia "symbolises our voice to the entire nation". [G] states "as the only truly national broadsheet we can own this space" (positioning claim: see claims.md). - Always in the **top-right corner**, at a size that is not overpowering. - Red is always the first preference. White may be used where red is not possible. - It is not required on mini or small strip placements because of their size. - **No public file for the map mark was found. It must not be drawn or approximated.** Gap. ## Colour ```yaml color: evidence_status: brand_declared source: "[G] §04 Colour" role_mapping_note: "Hex values, names and palette membership are brand_declared. [G] puts Ember, Oxford, Black, White and Linen in the primary palette and the rest in the secondary palette. The BCP `role` values are this package's inferred mapping." tokens: ember: hex: "#F15B46" role: primary semantic_name: "AUS RED | EMBER" usage_rule: "One of two logo colours. First-preference colour for the map brand mark." print: "CMYK 0 80 76 0; RGB 241 91 70" evidence_status: brand_declared oxford: hex: "#004563" role: primary semantic_name: "AUS BLUE | OXFORD" usage_rule: "One of two logo colours." print: "CMYK 100 0 0 75; RGB stated as 0 69 69 (conflicts with HEX; see Known conflicts)" evidence_status: brand_declared white: hex: "#FFFFFF" role: surface semantic_name: WHITE evidence_status: brand_declared linen: hex: "#EEEDE6" role: surface semantic_name: "AUS BEIGE | LINEN" print: "CMYK 0 0 3 7; RGB 238 237 230" evidence_status: brand_declared black: hex: "#000000" role: text semantic_name: BLACK evidence_status: brand_declared marine: hex: "#237D9B" role: accent semantic_name: "AUS BLUE | MARINE (secondary palette)" usage_rule: "Secondary colours: use sparingly, for special campaigns. Observed as the background of the header Subscribe button on 2026-10-26." evidence_status: brand_declared powder: hex: "#E5EBF6" role: neutral semantic_name: "AUS BLUE | POWDER (secondary palette)" evidence_status: brand_declared turquoise: hex: "#66ABAF" role: accent semantic_name: "AUS GREEN | TURQUOISE (secondary palette)" evidence_status: brand_declared slate: hex: "#92A1AA" role: neutral semantic_name: "AUS GREY | SLATE (secondary palette)" usage_rule: "HEX/RGB conflict in source; see Known conflicts." evidence_status: brand_declared ice: hex: "#D8E7EE" role: neutral semantic_name: "AUS BLUE | ICE (secondary palette)" usage_rule: "HEX/RGB conflict in source (RGB given as 85 91 93); the CMYK 9 3 0 7 is consistent with the HEX, not the RGB. Unconfirmed." evidence_status: brand_declared approved_pairs_evidence_status: inferred approved_pairs: - foreground: black background: white - foreground: black background: linen - foreground: white background: ember - foreground: white background: oxford forbidden_pairs: [] notes: - "Highlight key words in a secondary colour: a design mandatory in [G] §09." - "Set T&Cs in a white box with black text for legibility ([G] §09 templates)." - "The approved pairs are a conservative inference from the template notes and logo variants (white logo on red/dark). The guidelines do not publish a pairing matrix." observed_web_colors: evidence_status: observed source: "Rendered CSS, https://www.theaustralian.com.au/ (2026-10-26)" masthead_svg_fills: ["#ED5843", "#00405C"] section_heading_text: "#00405C (rgb 0 64 92)" headline_text: "#000000" secondary_text: "#606669 (rgb 96 102 105)" subscribe_button_background: "#237D9B (matches Marine)" ``` ## Typography ```yaml typography: families: times_classic: family: "Times Classic Display" fallback_stack: ["Times Classic Bold", "Times", "Times New Roman", "serif"] weights: [400, 500, 700] styles: [normal, italic] source: "[G] §05 Primary Font. Served as a webfont on the site (observed 2026-10-26: 'Times Classic Display' 400/700, 'Times Classic Bold' 700)." license_note: "Commercial newspaper typeface. Not a free or Google font. Licence terms and owner were not verified. Do not embed or redistribute font files. [G] suggests substituting 'Times' in Google Slides/Docs. That substitute is a different typeface." usage_rule: "Headlines in bold, body copy in regular. Medium for subheads or where bold is overpowering. The family comprises Regular, Medium, Bold, Italic, Medium Italic and Bold Italic. ([G] §05)" evidence_status: brand_declared avenir: family: "Avenir" fallback_stack: ["Avenir Next", "Helvetica Neue", "Arial", "sans-serif"] source: "[G] §05 Secondary Font ('New secondary marketing font')" license_note: "Commercial typeface (not open source); not available as a Google font as far as could be determined. The [G] tip to search for Avenir in Google Slides/Docs appears to be a copy of the Times tip and was not verified. Licence status for any given user is unverified." usage_rule: "Only for secondary copy lines, CTAs and T&Cs." evidence_status: brand_declared roles: display: times_classic body: times_classic ui: avenir observed_web: evidence_status: observed lead_headline: "Times Classic Bold, 32px/40px, weight 700, black" section_heading: "Times Classic Display, 24px/30px, weight 400, #00405C" standfirst_small: "Times Classic Display, 16px/20px, #606669" header_cta: "'Subscribe' rendered in Times Classic Display 14px, white on #237D9B, 2px radius" note: "On 2026-10-26 the header CTA was set in Times Classic Display, not Avenir. The Avenir rule in [G] is for marketing creative." ``` ## Layout and composition (brand_declared, [G] §09) ```yaml layout: evidence_status: brand_declared mandatories: - Map brand mark in the top-right corner - Logo right-aligned or centred - Key words highlighted in a secondary colour - Consistent QR code style - Logo size and colour per templates - T&C size and placement per templates template_patterns: - "Full-page press (sale and full-bleed imagery templates): small map top right, rounded CTA box, CTA in secondary font, T&Cs in a white box with black text, two-colour logo centre-aligned" - "Medium-strip press: key words highlighted in secondary colour, two-colour logo left-aligned, CTA/URL in a pill-shaped box, small map top right, QR code with map in centre" - "Mini-strip press: key word highlighted, CTA in secondary font, logo always right-aligned (no map needed)" - "Digital: small map top right, one-colour tagline at small sizes, rounded CTA box" corner_radius: "CTA containers are rounded (box) or pill-shaped. No numeric radius declared." papercraft: description: "Collage of several images in duotone or black-and-white with subtle paper textures, giving a layered, tactile, editorial composition that puts journalists, their voices and the audience at the centre. Bespoke versions are produced by the brand's creative agency." examples_named: [Federal Election topic, Podcast, Travel] forbidden_compositions: - Map brand mark anywhere other than top right - QR code with square corners, without the map, with a border or 'scan me' label, in altered colour, or with the map placed differently from the template ``` ## QR codes (brand_declared, [G] §08) - Marketing teams generate their own trackable QR codes, with the map icon loaded into the brand's QR-generation service. - Separate approved styles exist for dark and light backgrounds. - Don't use square corners, omit the map, add a border or "scan me" label, or alter the colour (shown as wrong in [G]). The medium-strip template shows a map in the centre with squared corner markers. The two statements are not fully reconcilable in the converted text. Gap. ## Imagery (brand_declared, [G] §07) ```yaml imagery: evidence_status: brand_declared photographic_style: "Bold, serious and cinematic. Editorial and human-centred: the people at the heart of the story, or traces of their influence, emotion and impact. Premium, with strong composition, cinematic lighting and unusual perspectives." principles: - Authentic and documentary in style - Never staged or overly polished - Elevated quality that keeps focus on the story and leaves clean space for headlines and copy forbidden_treatments: - Staged set-ups - Overly polished treatment negative_prompts: evidence_status: inferred items: [staged smiles to camera, glossy advertising look, generic stock office scenes, clip-art] editorial_photography_note: evidence_status: brand_declared source: "News Corp Australia editorial code §23 (news imagery, not marketing creative)" text: "News images: colour alteration, over-sharpening and manipulation are prohibited (§23.2). Altered or AI-modified subjects must be captioned as digitally altered (§23.5). Artistic alteration needs editor approval (§23.7)." ``` The editorial-photography note comes from https://d2n6ofw4o746cn.cloudfront.net/bob/files/code_conduct.html. That document is embedded at https://www.theaustralian.com.au/editorial-code-of-conduct and was last updated 11 September 2025. ## Motion No motion or video guidance was available beyond the existence of social-video templates ([G] §09, "Social – Video"). Gap. ## Rights and gaps - **Unverified usage rights:** masthead, map brand mark, papercraft artwork, templates, photography and fonts. Nothing here grants a licence. The official logo files are referenced only so that identification and integrity can be checked. - No public asset files were found for the map mark, logo variants (dark/red/one-colour tagline), QR artwork or templates. - The brand-architecture diagram and template visuals in [G] were images that did not convert to text. Their details are not represented.