Corporate identity

Basic elements corporate identity

• VU logo and brand policy

  VU Amsterdam has one logo and is mainly recognised by this logo. It is therefore important to use the logo properly and unambiguously. The following rules apply to the use of the logo, laid down in the VU brand policy on 26 April 2022*:

  • All VU organisational units use the VU logo.
  • You can add the name of a faculty or research institute to the VU logo. You can only add one name: a faculty name or an institute name - so that the target group or recipient immediately knows who the sender is. In the case of a collaboration between faculties/research institutes, only the VU logo should be used, without the addition of the name of the faculty or institute.
  • Study programmes, services, projects, programmes and facilities use the general VU logo, without an addition.
  • For collaborations, we use the VU logo without the addition of the faculty or institute.
  • Organisations with which VU cooperates may use the VU logo in their communications only with the permission of the Communications & Marketing Department.

  ^{* A deadline of 3 years, 2023-2025, has been agreed for replacing and converting old logos to the new VU brand policy. This will be facilitated by Communications & Marketing.}

  Unlawful use of the VU logo
  The VU logo is protected by trademark law: it is registered as a trademark at the Benelux Office for Intellectual Property (BOIP). Copying or modifying the logo or using any of its parts is not permitted. The rights to the VU logo and its individual components belong to VU Amsterdam and are exercised by the Executive Board. Unauthorised use may have legal consequences.

  Download the VU logo
  VU logo for screen presentations

  • JPG file
  • PNG file
  • SVG file

  
  VU logo for printing

  • PDF file
  • EPS file

  
  VU avatar for social media

  Blue:

  • JPG file
  • PNG file
  • SVG file

  White:

  • JPG file
  • PNG file
  • SVG file

  
  VU logos for faculties and research institutes
  The VU logos for our faculties and research institutes can be found in the VU Brandportal

  If you’d like to have a diapositive version, a different file format or if you have another question about the
  VU logo, please contact the VU Designstudio: designstudio@vu.nl, 020 598 3533.

• Naming

  This university uses just one name, both in national and international contexts: Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. The name may be abbreviated to “VU Amsterdam” and when appropriate in context, and in Dutch only, “VU”.

  More about naming, also regarding scientific publications, can be found here.

• Colour

  VU Amsterdam's colour system changed in 2021. The sender-oriented colour coding, where each faculty had its own colour, has been replaced by a colour palette that applies to the entire organisation. The VU colour palette consists of primary, secondary, tertiary and neutral colours. The primary colours meet accessibility requirements (WCAG 2.1 guidelines), which is why you can use them as text colours or as background colours for white text.

  VU blue is the main colour, the other primary colours - orange-red, green, purple - support and create a warmer look.

  Colour code VU blue:
  CMYK: 100/30/0/0
  RGB: 0/119/179
  HEX: 0077B3
  RAL: 5015

  The VU Brand guide contains all the information on applying colours and colour codes.

• Typography

  Typography rules ensure that texts in VU communication means are legible and unambiguous. The basic font is DIN Pro: sans serif, modern and easy to read. DIN Pro is not available everywhere. Therefore, a similar alternative has been chosen for certain communication means and programmes.

  For all our printed material, we use the DIN Pro font. The font for online expressions is Roboto. The VU PowerPoint template contains the VU font DIN Pro. If DIN Pro is not available, Calibri is the alternative. DIN Pro is not available for Word, use Calibri for Word.

  All typography rules can be found in the VU Brand guide

• Layout for covers and interior

  Many of VU Amsterdam's communication means are built according to a fixed structure, with text boxes being a key component. The frames are a characteristic feature, where a dot refers to other content. The frames bring a clear structure to a page and create a deeper layer. For dynamics, the frames may partly fall over an image or other frame, as if they slide over it.

  Check out the VU frameworks in the VU Brand guide

• Image

  Photography, video, illustration and animation
  At VU Amsterdam, people and society are central. This requires realistic, documentary-like images from society and/or images in which people are central in a location appropriate to the story you want to tell.

  You will find downloadable photos in the VU Brandportal. For use of photos with rights, please first ask permission from Communications & Marketing at designstudio@vu.nl.
  
  

• Corporate presentation

  Making a presentation about the university? This standard, modular presentation has been designed to help you. Download this corporate PowerPoint presentation about Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam here in English and Dutch. 

  There are basic slides about identity, education, research, impact and organisation, including key data, figures and examples. You can draw from it as needed. The “Impact” module contains a large body of examples to illustrate the impact that we, as VU Amsterdam, make through our education and research, and as an organisation. Select the examples that are relevant to your presentation. At the bottom of each slide, there is a link to more information in the speaker notes. ​ 

  Whenever there are changes in key data and figures, the standard presentation is updated. New examples are also added regularly.

• VU campaign concept

  Only together can we improve the world: 'Unlock our potential'. This campaign concept, combined with a recognisable design, is the basis of all our campaigns. This way, VU Amsterdam campaigns proclaim a unified, distinctive and recognisable message. The VU campaign concept offers an inspiring and connecting framework, in which internal and external target groups of VU Amsterdam can recognise themselves. 

  More about the VU campaign concept can be found in the VU brand guide

• VU Brand guide

  You can find everything about the VU corporate identity in the VU Brand guide. The book contains all dos and don’ts, information on the application of the logo and the other basic elements of the corporate identity.

• VU Brandportal

  In the VU Brandportal you can create your own communication means, you can also have them printed from the VU Toolbox by Repro VU. The VU Toolbox, contains templates of various communication means and photos.