Brand Tool Kit
Consistent use of university brand elements makes messages from Murray State more recognizable and meaningful. Learn the basics of Murray State's brand including our mission, key messaging, pillars and personality traits.
Our Brand Promise
Murray State University provides a collaborative, opportunity-rich learning community that engages then empowers students with a real-world education that fosters personal growth and professional success.
Brand Pillars
- Inspiring faculty and staff committed to student success.
- Our distinctive campus community: Racer family.
- Intentional experiential pathways to the future.
- Our service area and beyond: an extended classroom.
Brand Personality
Earnest. Inspired. Determined. Doer. Creative. Leader. Partner.
The logo
The Murray State logo embodies our identity and assures audiences of a strong connection
to the university. Typeset in FreightText Bold and FreightSans Book paired with our
shield, our logo is the central element from which all our visual elements are drawn.
When used as a logo (and not embedded within text) the official vector artwork should
be used.
Please follow guidelines to ensure the logo retains its impact as the official mark of Murray State.
Using the Brand
Overview
Messaging
Web Toolkit
Tagline
The "We are Racers" primary brand messaging is intended to be a unifier for both the campus and greater community while supporting the brand promise and mission of the University.
We are Racers.
The "We are Racers." brand messaging is intended to be a unifier for both the campus and greater community while supporting the brand promise and mission of the University.
The "We are Racers." messaging can be used by following these guidelines:
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Choose words only from the approved word bank. Words should remain lowercase. You may list 1 or 2 "We are" statements before the "We are Racers." statement.
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The "We are Racers." statement is always used last.
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"Racers" is always capitalized while "are" is never capitalized. There is an exception to this rule when using hashtags; #WeAreRacers is the proper format.
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Never abbreviate the tagline (W.A.R.).
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Each statement always ends with a period.
Download FreightText Medium font in the downloads section.
3 statement format example
We are {insert word from word bank}.
We are {insert word from word bank}.
We are Racers.
2 statement format example
We are {insert word from word bank}.
We are Racers.
Word bank
The word bank is updated when new words are added.
Guidance
Examples of proper use
3 statement format
We are caregivers.
We are nurses.
We are Racers.
2 statement format
We are nurses.
We are Racers.
Examples of improper use
- Do not use more than three statements or reformat statements.
We are caregivers.
We are dedicated.
Racers are nurses.
We are Racers. - Do not use additional words. Each statement shoud be three words in length.
We are caregivers.
We are very dedicated.
We are Racers. - Do not use unauthorized words or punctuation.
We are cool!
We are hip!
We are Racers! - Do not use other fonts or styles.
We are caregivers.
We are dedicated.
WE ARE RACERS.
Tagline and lock-up
Tagline
Lock-up logo
If you are not using the messaging, you may choose to use the tagline or the lock-up logo.
The tagline and lock-up logo can be used by following these guidelines:
- When only using the tagline, an official logo should be present.
- To avoid redundancy, only use one "We are Racers." element (messaging, tagline or lock-up logo) should be used.
- Never abbreviate the tagline (W.A.R.).
- Use correct font and downloaded materials.
Improper use
Examples of use
Proper use
Downloads
Identity
Grammar guide statements
Any marketing materials representing the University, from brochures to web pages to press releases, should follow Associated Press style for grammar. We encourage you to save the following style guide and/or hang it up at your desk for easy reference. Not only will it make great office décor, it will also help ensure consistent grammar usage across the University.
Download the University's Editorial Style Guidelines
For more tips on AP style, Purdue OWL and Grammar Girl are great resources. If you have further questions, please contact Parker Franklin in the office of branding, marketing and communication at pfranklin4@murraystate.edu.
Important note: Please use the official names of University colleges, buildings and scholarships, and check your spelling. Examples include the Arthur J. Bauernfeind College of Business, Susan E. Bauernfeind Wellness Center and Jesse D. Jones College of Science, Engineering and Technology.
Special statements
Any promotional or marketing material that represents any aspect of the University is required to have an equal opportunity statement. The shortened version is easiest to include and can be placed in the footer of the publication in a small font. The font should be no smaller than 6 points with enough contrast to be legible.
Equal Opportunity Statement
Long version:
Murray State University endorses the intent of all federal and state laws created
to prohibit discrimination. Murray State University does not discriminate on the basis
of race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion,
age, veteran status or disability in employment or application for employment, admissions
or the provision of services and provides, upon request, reasonable accommodation
including auxiliary aids and services necessary to afford individuals with disabilities
equal access to participate in all programs and activities. Murray State University
supports a clean and healthy campus. Please refrain from personal tobacco use.
Shortened version:
Equal education and employment opportunities M/F/D, AA employer. Murray State University
supports a clean and healthy campus. Please refrain from personal tobacco use.
Typography - Freight fonts and usage
The University’s Typeface
If you have questions about using these fonts on University computers, contact the Service Desk at 270-809-2346 or msu.servicedesk@murraystate.edu.
Color palette and guidance
Primary
There are two primary colors, the tried and true Murray State blue and gold.

CMYK: 100, 90, 0, 70
RGB: 0, 33, 68
PMS: 289
HEX: 002144

CMYK: 0, 24, 94, 0
RGB: 236, 172, 0
PMS: 123
HEX: ECAC00
Accent
The accent colors are the University's secondary colors. These should be used sparingly.

CMYK: 83, 11, 2, 0
RGB: 0, 164, 227
PMS 2995
HEX: 00A4E3

CMYK: 0, 87, 80, 0
RGB: 255, 69, 0
PMS: Pantone warm red
HEX: FF4500
Department logos
Use of the department logo system is required for all academic and administrative units. To request your department logo, please contact Branding, Marketing and Communication. Modifications are not permitted, but this system provides variations for certain circumstances. To display a unit name, a single or double line of text is inserted. The font FreightText semibold is used with a cap-height of the unit name being equal to the x-height of UN I V E R S I T Y.
Contact Melissa Shown at mshown@murraystate.edu or Emily White at ecook17@murraystate.edu to request a logo for your department.
Single line logo
Double line logo
Video and Photo
Video
:30 Commercial
Videography plays a huge role in bringing a branding message to life while sharing Murray State's story in a compelling way. For additional information or to schedule a videographer, please contact the Digital Media Services team within the Office of Branding, Marketing and Communication.
Best practices
Animation: To maintain brand consistency, all videos representing Murray State University should end with the same video animation. View/download video animations.
Captions: To comply with the University’s accessibility policy, all Murray State videos must have closed-captioning capability. These can be turned on and off at the discretion of the viewer on uploads to Facebook and YouTube. These should be in a plain text (.txt or .srt .txt) format for uploading to YouTube and Facebook. YouTube can automatically create captions that can then be edited and downloaded in plain text format.
Music: Videos must only use music for which they have all necessary permissions. Copyrighted music may not be used in any Murray State video without permission from the creator. Many websites and musicians supply high-quality music without copyright for use in any video, for free, for free with accreditation or for a small fee.
The University’s Image
Photography is a key element of our brand. We’re capturing the essence of Murray State through a visual medium. Using a contemporary style, we’re capturing diversity, candid moments and the students and faculty in their academic settings.
Photo shoots and downloads
For copyright information or to schedule a photographer, please contact the digital media team within the Office of Branding, Marketing and Communication at msu.photography@murraystate.edu. View/download images on SmugMug.
Best practices
Print: CMYK color format, TIFF, PSD, or JPEG at 300 dpi
Web/Digital images: RGB Color format, JPEG or PNG ranging from 72 dpi to 300 dpi
- As a general rule, low resolution images lose quality if they are resized larger than their original size.
- Never use photos that are pulled from the internet without having proper permission or rights.
- Do not use colorizing or apply dramatic filters to photos.
- Do not crop an image so severely that the subject or emotion is compromised.
- Do not use outdated photographs of campus.
Alt text for web and pdf
Image alt text (alternative text) is used within HTML code to describe the appearance and function of an image on a web page. This should also be applied within the settings of a .pdf document if it will be available online. Alt text is a central principle of web accessibility. Visually impaired people using screen readers read alt text to better understand the image, and it also provides context to search engines, helping to index an image properly. When writing alt text, describe the image as specifically as possible, but keep it short.
Downloads
- Freight Text fonts
- Video animations
- Download logos for email, print and digital
- Download all toolkit files
- Download Zoom backgrounds - If your Zoom background image appears reversed on screen, de-select the "Mirror my video" option.
Communication Materials
Press releases
Stationery and business cards
Letterhead and business card pricing and ordering information is available via Print Services.
Letterhead example
Horizontal business card example (not actual size)
Vertical business card example (not actual size)
Microsoft Office
Powerpoint Templates
Format Excel files
To create a Murray State theme using the official colors:
- Open a new Excel document.
- Go to the Page Layout tab. Next to Themes, click Colors, then select Create New Theme Colors at the bottom of the list.
- For each of the desired fields, click the dropdown and then click More Colors.
- Select the Custom tab, then enter the RGB values for the Murray State colors.
For Light Blue (007eb2)
R = 0
G = 126
B = 178
For Navy (002144)
R = 0
G = 33
B = 68
For Gold (ecac00)
R = 236
G = 172
B = 0
Once you've entered a color once, it will appear in the Recent Colors box if you decide to repeat it. - Once all of the theme colors are selected, click Save.
- Click Themes, then select Save Current Theme. Name the theme (I used MurrayStateTheme) and save it.
- Open the document to which you wish to apply the theme. Go to Page Layout and select the theme from the list. This should update any document, or set up any new document with the correct colors. You can also add specific fonts and effects to the theme if you don't like the standard ones and they'll transition in the same way.
Report Cover Templates
Agenda Templates
Email Signature
Signoff Design
Ensure your emails feature Murray State branding by updating your signature to look like this:
Signatures should include
- Name
- Title/Position
- Office/Department
- Campus
- Phone/Fax
- Link to apply webpage
- Logo or lock-up logo
Instructions
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Download the Murray State logo or the lock-up logo.
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Click on the gear icon in the upper right corner of your RacerMail inbox.
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Choose the “Settings” link.
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In the “Signature” section, click the “Insert Image” icon to upload the new Murray State logo.
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Reference the design above to update your information as needed.
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To link the Apply Today text, click the link icon and add a link to www.murraystate.edu/apply.
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If the text is linked properly, it will automatically turn blue.
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Make sure the signature box is selected and “no signature” is deselected.
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Scroll to the bottom and click “Save Changes” before navigating back to your inbox.
Please note, departmental email accounts may not upload images.
Please note, departmental email accounts may not upload images.
Contact Our Team
Marketing and Communication
- Shawn Touney
- Executive Director of Marketing and Communication
- 431 Sparks Hall
- Jennifer Cline
- Associate Director
- Branding, Marketing and Communication
- Parker Franklin
- Communications Specialist
- Branding, Marketing and Communication
Digital Media Services
Digital Media Services handles all photo and video requests.
- W. Jeremy McKeel
- Manager
- 805 Fine Arts Building
- Brandon Story
- Production Specialist
- 845 Fine Arts Building
- Shasta O'Neal
- Administrative Specialist
- 806 Fine Arts Building
- Michael Inman
- Broadcast Engineer TSM
- 835 Fine Arts Building
Social media
Your social media accounts should always represent the current brand.
- Branding, Marketing and Communication
- Social Media
- 429 Sparks Hall
- Melissa Shown
- Senior Graphic Designer
- General Services
- Tobie Tubbs
- Printing Manager
- General Services
Web
All university websites are built using OU Campus. For more information, contact Web Management.
- Charley Allen-Dunn
- Web & Digital Advertising Manager
- Branding, Marketing and Communication
- 425 Sparks Hall
- Murray, KY 42071
- callendunn@murraystate.edu
- 270.809.3919
- Vacant
- Web Specialist
- Branding, Marketing and Communication
- 427 Sparks Hall
- Murray, KY 42071
- 270.809.2664
- Emily White
- Design Specialist
- Branding, Marketing and Communication
- 428 Sparks Hall
- Murray, KY 42071
- ecook17@murraystate.edu
- 270.809.3271