Brand Communications

Guidelines

BRITISH AUDIO PIONEERS JANUARY 2021

 CONTENTS

01 02 03
Our Brand (3-4) Graphical Elements (5-18) Written Language (19-24)

04 05 Design Templates (25-28) Marketing Resources (29-30)

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 1. INTRODUCTION
Meridian, the award-winning British audio pioneer, has been creating innovative audio technologies and elegant,
high performance audio products since 1977. Meridian’s ambition is to enable people to listen, enjoy and fall
in love with their music and movies wherever they are, and our renowned sound philosophy can be applied in
all listening environments.From the flagship DSP loudspeakers with integrated amplification, to discreet and
powerful in-wall loudspeakers, Meridian engineers easy to install, high resolution audio systems for the home.
Meridian’s products are sold by custom integrators and audio specialists in more than 80 countries, worldwide.
Meridian works with many of the world’s leading brands and our customers include British Airways, Human
Horizons, LG Electronics, Jaguar Land Rover, Kia and Rivian, enabling millions of consumers around the world to
experience our sound throughout their homes, and in automotive, marine and airline settings.

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 1.1 OUR BRAND VALUES
Our brand values are principles that shape every
aspect of our business. They are placed at the very
core of the Meridian brand and are there to inform
our brand message, identity and personality.

Performance Innovation

Emotion British Design

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 2. GRAPHICAL ELEMENTS
We believe that our brand and the values it enshrines, are
as important as the technology behind our products. By
ensuring we apply a consistent approach to the logo, fonts,
colours and associated imagery, we can guarantee that the
brand achieves the highest levels of recognition.

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 2.1 MERIDIAN PRIMARY LOGO
Our primary logo comprises our stylised M, the 'monogram'
and our name, or 'wordmark'. They are always used together
except where the application size or process doesn’t allow eg
automotive speaker enclosures and smaller screen sizes of
our website as viewed on mobile devices.
The logo is instantly recognisable and requires a consistency of delivery
across all media. The logo and brand are trademarked which helps
Meridian to achieve a high degree of standout and recognition in the
market. Examples of how the primary logo should be used can be
found in Design Templates, section 4 of this guide.

No elements of the primary logo can be modified.

High resolution logos can be downloaded from the

media section which can be found on the website.

Monogram

Wordmark

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 2.1 MERIDIAN PRIMARY LOGO
The Meridian logo should not be altered, nor should it
feature without adhering to the following principles:

Bleed area

Trim line

STRUCTURE CLEAR SPACE CROPPED

The logo should always be used in the A clear boundary needs to be around the logo to Where the logo bleeds off the top of a page,
format above. The midpoint is formed ensure its impact is not compromised by other bleed should to be added in print so that the
in the monogram as shown. graphical or typographical elements. To make it simple full primary logo is displayed so keeping the
the M in the wordmark should be used as a guide. square proportions.

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 2.2 LOGO INTEGRITY
To retain the consistency of the brand, the primary and
secondary logos must be not be edited or customised
in any way. Examples of how the primary and secondary
logos should be used can be found in Meridian Design
Templates, section 4 of this guide.

Do not remove the logo Do not rearrange the logo

elements from the black square,
or use them black on white

Audio

Do not deconstruct the logo Do not change the colour of Do not add descriptors Do not change or distort the Do not change the colours
the monogram or wordmark to the logo proportions of the monogram of the logo

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 2.2 LOGO INTEGRITY CONTINUED
A transparent logo may be used on an image where it can
achieve a high level of standout. Busy or colourful backgrounds
should be avoided. The logo's edges will be denoted by a white
border. A white border version of the logo should not be used
for any other applications i.e. where solid black logo is used.

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 2.3 MERIDIAN SECONDARY LOGO
Where possible, the primary logo should always be used.
The secondary logo can be considered for applications where
the primary logo doesn't work because of the space available
such as on email footers. The logos are available in different
formats and can be found in the link below.

High resolution logos can be downloaded from the

media section which can be found on the website.

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 2.3 MERIDIAN SECONDARY LOGO
Where possible, the primary logo should always be used. The
secondary logo can be considered for applications where the
primary logo doesn't work because of the space available, such
as on email footers. The logos are available in different formats
and can be found in the link below.

High resolution logos can be downloaded from the

media section which can be found on the website.

CLEAR SPACE BLACK BACKGROUND WHITE BACKGROUND

A clear boundary space needs to be left around Examples of use on a black background How the logo should appear on a
the logo to ensure its impact is not compromised white background
by other graphical or typographical elements. To
make it simple, the M should be used as a guide.

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 2.4 MINIMUM LOGO SIZES
In order to retain the integrity of the design and
the legibility of the wordmark and monogram,
the minimum size for the logos are:

PRINT DIGITAL PRINT DIGITAL

20mm 60 pixels
25mm 70 pixels

25mm 70 pixels 20mm 60 pixels

PRIMARY LOGO SECONDARY LOGO

For print, the minimum size is 25mm. For screen, use the smallest The smallest recommended size for the For digital applications, the
At this size the keyline around the M recommended size is 70 pixels, secondary 'wordmark' logo is 20mm. secondary logo should appear
monogram is approximately 0.3mm, which which allows for the logo to be The above visuals are for illustrative no smaller than 60 pixels wide.
is the minimum stroke weight for most clear and visible in a digital format. purposes and are not to scale.
printing scenarios. Shown to scale, above. Shown to scale, above.

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 2.5 BRAND COLOURS
In most applications Meridian black and white are our
primary colours, but we have a secondary pallette for use on
applications such as print ads, online, technical sheets etc.
The Meridian colour palette consists of Meridian black, white and a
selection of secondary greys. The black allows the logos to achieve a high
level of standout and the use of white provides a clean space that allows
copy and imagery to achieve a high level of prominance. The grey pallette
is used for highlights and to add interest to the designs.

PRIMARY COLOURS SECONDARY COLOURS

Black White 85% black

CMYK: 0/0/0/100 CMYK: 0/0/0/0 CMYK: 0/0/0/85

CMYK rich black: 20/20/20/100 RGB: 255/255/255 RGB: 31/0/1
RGB: 0/0/0 Hex: FFFFFF Hex: 4A4A49
Hex: 000000
PANTONE: 433
55% black
CMYK: 0/0/0/55
RGB: 61/0/0
Hex: 939292

11% black
CMYK: 0/0/0/11
RGB: 93/0/0
Hex: EBEBEB

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 2.6 MERIDIAN CO-BRANDING

Example partner logos

Meridian collaborates with other leading
manufacturers and our products feature some
functionalities that are powered by third-parties.
All the standard guidelines apply when partnering the Meridian
logo with other brand marks. Clear space must be preserved,
and when our logo appears beside a partner logo it should
appear in a consistent fashion, e.g. vertical with vertical, etc.

Partner logos are available in different formats on request.

Please send all co-branding applications to

[email protected] for final approval.

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 Meridi
2.7 PRIMARY TYPEFACE
Our font, Scala Sans Pro, is an important
component of our brand. It has been
chosen because it reflects our personality
- contemporary and distinctive. To ensure
continuity of our brand look and feel it
should be used on all written materials.
The font size varies on the application. Examples of
how the typeface should be in print and online etc can
be found in Meridian Design Templates (section 4).

Audio, the
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 2.7 PRIMARY TYPEFACE
Our primary typeface, FF Scala Sans Pro, features FF Scala Sans Pro character set
many intricate details and characteristics.
The leading and kerning should be adjusted
depending on the size of the application.

Our recommendation is to keep kerning no

AaBbCcDdEeFfGgHhIi
JjKkLlMmNnOoPpQq
less than -10 as the letters can get too close.

There is no secondary, or alternative, typeface.

FF Scala Sans Pro

RrSsTtUuVvWwXxYyZz
Light
Numbers standard

1234567890
Regular Numbers capitalised (preferred)

Bold 1234567890
FF Scala Sans Pro can be purchased from:
www.myfonts.com/fonts/fontfont/scala-sans-pro
www.fontshop.com/families/ff-scala-sans/buy

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 2.8 HEADINGS
A header style has been developed to use across
a range of media to achieve a high level of
standout. The black box is to be created using the
primary brand black which is appropriate to the
MERIDIAN AUDIO The perimeter space
surrounding the text is
approximately 25% of the

BRAND GUIDELINES
overall height of the type.
media, see page 13 for Pantone, CMYK, hex and
RGB values. Here are some guidelines:

Text is always uppercase and the font size and

Left aligned
line spacing are dependent on the media. Please
refer to Meridian Design Templates, section 4.

Heading and image alignment

BRITISH AUDIO
PIONEERS
Right aligned

MERIDIAN
VIEW OUR AWARD-WINNING 808v6
LOUDPSEAKERS Numbers are always caps

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 2.8 HEADINGS CONT'D
In some cases, where headings may be
longer than others, or where a particular
statement sits in a prominent position,
the heading alignment can be more
random, as per this example. There is
no specific grid for the alignment, it is
adjusted visually so that it is clear to read
and aesthetically well balanced.

WE DELIVER THE MOST

IMMERSIVE SOUND
WHILE ON THE MOVE

Since our inception, Meridian’s rigorous and research-led philosophy

has maintained our position on the limits of what is possible. Our
pioneering nature has seen us tailor High Resolution Audio to countless
environments, devising unique solutions to deliver sublime experiences.

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 3. MERIDIAN WRITTEN LANGUAGE
How we communicate in written form is as important
as our logo and typeface. We should highlight
key messages i.e award-winning performance,
commitment to quality and innovation.

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 3.1 MERIDIAN WRITTEN
LANGUAGE How we communicate in written form is
as important as our logo and typeface.
Our tone of voice enables us to convey
Our copy should be professional, factual and friendly in our brand and personality in a way that
tone. We want to excite and leave the reader wanting to will engage with our customers.
find out more. We may need to tailor copy for different
markets, but our message needs to be consistent.

Here are a few pointers:

1. COPY STRUCTURE 2. KEEP MESSAGES AND IDEAS TO

A PALATABLE NUMBER
Keep it simple - less is more.
▪ Lead with most important message
Our style is:
▪ Avoid repetition
▪ Sparing and concise
▪ Tailor content to audience
▪ Short sentences and paragraphs
▪ Ensure content is engaging
▪ Informed and accurate
▪ Add clear calls to action
▪ Technical when it needs to be

▪ Up-to-date

3. IT'S ALL IN THE DETAIL

Attention to detail is paramount.

We should ensure that our written language

is of the highest quality to reflect the quality
of the Meridian brand.

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 3.2 HOW WE WRITE
How to refer to Meridian and our products:
▪ In written copy the company may refer to itself as ‘Meridian’ and/or ‘we’, ‘us’ etc.
▪ ‘Meridian’ (the company) should always be singular when referred to – e.g. ‘Meridian is proud to be...’
▪ ‘We’, ‘us’ etc. make copy more personal, more inclusive and more human – important qualities in the relationship with customers.
▪ Where usage of ‘Meridian’ and ‘we’, ‘us’ etc. are mixed, attention must be paid to correct grammatical usage – sticking to the
singular with ‘Meridian’ and plural with ‘we’ etc. as appropriate – and the transition between the two properly managed, e.g.

From its beginnings in Cambridgeshire, UK, Meridian has evolved to become a global, high
performance brand. Our ethos remains the same now as when the company was founded in 1977.
▪ Where products and/or technology are specified that are unique to Meridian, it is good practice to qualify them with the company
name, at least in the first instance, e.g. Meridian True Time.

▪ While it is important for Meridian to take – and express – clear ownership of both its products and its technologies, care should be
taken not to overuse the name. Meridian is authoritative and confident; overstatement undermines this position.

Please see Meridian Design Templates, found in section 4 of this guide, to see samples of our written style across various media.

Keywords associated with the meridian brand and Meridian products:

Aspirational. Visionary. Innovation. Design. Performance.

Unrivalled. Quality. British. Award-winning. Emotion.

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 3.2 HOW WE WRITE:
BRAND PROPOSITION Our brand proposition is clear. For
more than forty years, we have pushed
boundaries, disrupted norms and delivered
products that have shaped our industry and

British Audio Pioneers. redefined how people experience sound.

Meridian has always thought about how you

experience sound. How it makes you feel.

For more than four decades we have challenged

convention, pushed boundaries and launched products
that have created new possibilities in sound.

Every day we challenge the limits of what

is possible in audio.

Our renowned sound philosophy can be applied

to almost any listening environment.

We believe the fine details matter.

We are the pioneers of High-Res audio

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 3.2 HOW WE WRITE:
SOCIAL MEDIA

HASHTAGS TAGGING & MENTIONS

For social post’s associated with Meridian Audio

brand please use the following recommendations:
@meridianaudio
is used in the photo and mentioned in the text

#Meridianaudio
#HiResAudio MARKETING TOOLKITS

#MadeInBritain Social Media posts are available to download

#HandCrafted from the media section of our website.

#HighPerformance
#Natural SHARING YOUR PROJECTS & IMAGES

#Authentic We invite all our partners to share images of their

Meridian projects, appropriate credits will be given if
as well as # the product name i.e. used on our channels. We look forward to receiving
good quality photos featuring our products.
#DSP750
Using more than 3-4 hashtags for FB, Twitter and LinkedIn is
not recommended. This limit does not apply to Instagram.

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 3.3 MERIDIAN BOILERPLATE
When producing press releases, this is the standard introductory text about Meridian:

Meridian, the award-winning British audio pioneer, has been creating innovative
audio technologies and elegant, high performance audio products since
1977. Meridian’s ambition is to enable people to listen, enjoy and fall in love
with their music and movies wherever they are, and our renowned sound
philosophy can be applied in all listening environments. From the flagship DSP
loudspeakers with integrated amplification, to discreet and powerful in-wall
loudspeakers, Meridian engineers easy to install, high resolution audio systems
for the home. Meridian’s products are sold by custom integrators and audio
specialists in more than 80 countries, worldwide.Meridian works with many of
the world’s leading brands and our customers include British Airways, Human
Horizons, LG Electronics, Jaguar Land Rover, Kia and Rivian, enabling millions
of consumers around the world to experience our sound throughout their
homes, and in automotive, marine and airline settings.

British Audio Pioneers 24

 4. MERIDIAN DESIGN TEMPLATES
It is vital that a consistent look and feel for the Meridian brand is delivered
across all channels. The examples in this section demonstrate the correct
use of the logo, fonts, colours and how the different graphical and written
elements come together. We have a range of advert templates for common
sizes which can be downloaded from the media section off the website.

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 4.1 PRINT ADVERTISING
Our advert design uses the following style rules:

FONT SIZES
Leading - auto
Kerning- zero
Body copy colour - 85% black

Body copy colour - 80% black

Lines 1pt stroke - 100% black

Heading black panel behind text uses the

CMYK colour for Meridian Black.

This page shows an example of the typical layout with its

WE CRAFT AUDIO PRODUCTS
clean and concise approach to the message and design. THAT PERFORM LIKE NO OTHER
Templates can be downloaded from the media
section which can be found on the website.

Award Winning Design and Innovative

Products Specification Service Technologies

GET IN TOUCH
[email protected]
+44 (0) 1480 445678
meridian-audio.com

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 4.2 DIGITAL ADVERTISING
We have a range of advert templates for
common sizes in our online resource area.
These are guides and provide examples of how
the Meridian brand is represented digitally.

Please do not substitute our corporate font.

A licence to use the font is required and available from:

www.myfonts.com/fonts/fontfont/scala-sans-pro/

www.fontshop.com/families/ff-scala-sans/buy

Due to the size and low reolution of online adverts, the

Example of banner advert (small)
font size and logo placement sizes may need some
flexibility to allow for maximum legibility.

Please see examples, right, for page layout, font sizes/style,

placement of logo, cobranding and pictures.

Templates can be downloaded from the media

section which can be found on the website.

Example of Skyscraper

Example of banner advert

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 4.3 SOCIAL MEDIA
Adverts and example posts for use on social
media channels are also available.

Templates can be downloaded from the media

section which can be found on the website.

Example of social posts available from the media section

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 5. MERIDIAN MARKETING RESOURCES
To ensure that we deliver a consistent brand experience across all media, the
Meridian marketing team has created a online resource which contains the
latest authorised assets including: logos and sub-brand logos, icons, document
templates and photographs. This media section can be found on the website.

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 5.1 MARKETING RESOURCES
To access these resources please visit the
media section which can be found on the → Brand logos + Guidelines → Press Releases
website, or click on the quick links on the right.
If you require further assistance or assets which aren't in
the resources area please contact our marketing team at
→ Images + Assets → Brand film + Brochures
[email protected].

WE WILL CONTINUE TO CHALLENGE

CONVENTION TO ENRICH PEOPLE’S LIVES Meridian has always challenged convention. For more
than forty years, we have pushed boundaries, disrupted
norms and delivered products that have shaped our
industry and redefined how people experience sound.
Much has changed since Meridian first opened its doors in 1977. Our core philosophy hasn’t. This remains
as strong as ever and will continue to fuel our efforts to truly revolutionise how we experience sound.

1977 1989 1997 2010 2014 2017 2018 2020

1983 1986 1993 2004 2012 2013 2019

Meridian Prime Headphone 271 Digital Theatre Controller

Meridian 500 Series Meridian 800 Series Meridian G Series McLaren Automotive Amplifier and Meridian Explorer Master Quality Authentication Meridian Ultra DAC Created to enable the integration of Meridian DSP Meridian DSP750 Human Horizons
Meridian 207 CD Player Featured the first fully digital surround sound Featured Meridian's most advanced surround sound Featured the first high performance DVD Advanced Meridian DSP technologies introduced Jaguar Personal audio market entered with (MQA), invented by Meridian, helps kickstart a revolution First DAC to feature MQA's patented Hierarchical loudspeakers with any brand of surround sound Award winning Hi-Res architectural Advanced audio system design integrating new
Meridian M1 Loudspeaker Meridian MCD / Meridian MCD Pro • Innovative two-box design Meridian D600 processor with Meridian’s patented Meridian processor, equipped with a range of groundbreaking player with on-board audio decoding, 1080p to the automotive environment through pioneering First high-performance Meridian sound products and technologies designed to in the streaming of high-resolution audio. Meridian Converter technology and adjustable upsampling filters decoder to render the maximum possible audio loudspeaker with beryllium tweeter, perfect proprietary Meridian technologies introduced in
First active loudspeaker for the home First audiophile performance CD Player • Winner of British Design Council Award First digital active loudspeaker for the home High Resolution (MHR) technology technologies including Meridian Room Correction (MRC) video-scaling and HDMI output partnership with McLaren Automotive systems featured in Jaguar vehicles optimise the personal listening experience Explorer2 launched, the first MQA-compatible product to maximise playback performance performance from the latest immersive formats for high-performance installations the ground breaking, all-electric HiPhi X

1978 1988 1990 1991 1997 2000 2007 2011 2012 2013 2016 2018 LG CI_3D_rgb_Standard

2019 2020
Meridian DSP8000 Meridian Special Edition
Meridian Lossless Packing (MLP) Flagship DSP digital active loudspeaker loudspeaker range
Meridian Lossless Packing (MLP) technology built with inert 'Meridium' cabinet, featuring First loudspeakers engineered Meridian 200 Series Meridian DSW600
Meridian 100 Series Meridian 200 Series Multiroom licensed by Dolby® to create Dolby® TrueHD a suite of innovative Meridian technologies Land Rover specifically for High Resolution Audio Series of High Resolution Audio- First in-wall subwoofer using DSP to
• First series of modular electronics products First audiophile-quality networked Meridian 600 Series Lossless Audio to enable the maximum audio and an iconic design informed by extensive First high-performance Meridian sound playback, introducing Enhanced Bass compatible products designed specifically deliver impactful bass down to 24Hz with
• Winner of British Design Council Award multiroom system Featured the first DSP HiFi pre-amplifier fidelity possible from DVD and Blu-ray™ content psychoacoustic research systems featured in Land Rover vehicles Alignment (EBA) technology for the custom installation industry a mounting depth of less than 100mm
LG Electronics (LG)
Meridian F80 Meridian’s unique audio technologies and
Category-defining audio system distilled decades 3D Surround Sound System engineering capabilities deliver the ultimate listening British Airways
Meridian D6000 of groundbreaking research and advanced audio First 3D surround sound system, developed by experiences for LG’s soundbars, portable and smart First Class in-flight audio experience with
First DSP digital active loudspeaker technologies into a sleek, compact package Meridian, featured in Range Rover vehicles speakers, mobile phones and headphones headphones crafted by Meridian

If information is required on Meridian history, time line,

awards and accolades these are available upon request’

British Audio Pioneers 30

MERIDIAN AUDIO LTD.
Latham Road
Huntingdon
Cambridgeshire
PE29 6YE
United Kingdom

E: [email protected]
T: +44 (0)1480 445678

meridian-audio.com

Confidential. Copyright 2021, Meridian Audio Ltd.