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The Dal Brand

Brands, like people, have personalities. As the first point of contact for our audiences, Dal’s brand identity will often be responsible for first impressions.

About Dal's brand

Our brand identity is made up of all the little cues that makes someone think, “hey, this feels like Dalhousie University.”

In 2022, Communications, Marketing and Creative Services partnered with local firm m5 and engaged with internal and external community partners to develop the refreshed brand we’re using today. 

Read more: Dalhousie's brand gets a refresh

Brand Guidelines

The brand guidelines document is a map to ensure consistency across all brand platforms. It is a reference tool for those familiar with the brand and it is an educational tool for those who are new to the brand. 

Download the Brand Guidelines (login required)

Logos

Our logo is the most recognizable component of Dalhousie’s brand identity. Downloadable logos are available in full colour, one colour (black) and reverse (white) formats. Other options including informal logos, submarks, and social media favicons are available on the Communications, Marketing and Creative Services (CMC) myDal site. (login required) 

Logo downloads

Dalhousie Logo Horizontal

 

Dalhousie Logo Vertical

Sub-brand logos

For most external-facing communications and collateral, we advise using the Dalhousie logo. However, groups within the Dal community will still require versions of our logo that clearly display their identity. To ensure consistency, please contact our Design Services team at design.services@dal.ca to obtain your applicable logo.  

Font and Dalcon

Elements of the Dalcon shape which is made up of a stylized beak and wing.

The font for the Dalhousie Brand is Public Sans. It is an open-source Google font that can be downloaded for free. Our brand guidelines (login required) offer details on usage of font size and weight. 

The Dalcon is a shape that is the basis of our visual identity. It is a unique shape, rich with meaning and subtext, and its name is derived from a combination of the words Dalhousie and icon. Consider incorporating it into your designed materials. Our Design Services team can help. Contact them at design.services@dal.ca.

Colours

Three Dalcons labelled with the primary brand colours - wingtip black, beak gold, and cloud white.

After our logo, our colours are the most recognizable components of Dalhousie’s brand identity. Our primary colours respect Dalhousie’s black and gold tradition. 

Dal’s primary colours are:

  • Wingtip Black (HEX#242424)
  • Beak Gold (HEX #FFD400)
  • Cloud White (HEX#FFFFFF)

For more detailed information on brand colours, see the complete brand guidelines. (login required).

Expressing the brand

With a refreshed brand, comes a new brand strategy including brand pillars (what sets us apart from other universities), personality attributes, positioning, and a distinct brand promise.

 
The way we talk about ourselves has evolved and our messaging must consistently come back to this strategy for reasons including consistency, reputation enhancement, and showcasing our points of differentiation we want to get across to our audiences. 
 
We offer a suite of branded assets and templates, including:

  • Writing for the brand guidelines 

  • Message book

  • Editorial guidelines 

  • Tool and templates (communications plans, project briefs)

Access all of these and more on our CMC myDal site (login required). 

Trademarks and licensing

The University Trademarks & Licensing Program regulates the use of the University's name and identifying marks. This includes external use by manufacturers and retailers and internal use by various departments and student organizations.

Facts on licensing

Dalhousie University has registered its marks under Section 9 of the Canadian Trademarks Act. These marks are the exclusive property of the Dalhousie University Board of Governors and control of the trademarks in connection with merchandise has been delegated to the Trademarks Coordinator. Any use of the University's name and/or marks for other than official University purposes requires the written authorization of the Trademark Coordinator. Use of the marks for commercial purposes is restricted to official licensees only. Companies, persons or organizations wishing to use University trademarks are invited to apply to become an official licensee. All requests for use of the name or marks should be directed in writing to the Trademarks Coordinator.

Contact

For questions about the brand, contact:

Communications, Marketing & Creative Services 
Phone: 902-494-2517 
Email: dalbrand@dal.ca

For questions on licensing, contact:

Email: dalbrand@dal.ca 
Please include "licensing request" in your subject line.

Report outdated brand logos

We need your eagle eyes

Our campuses cover a lot of space – physically and digitally – and though we’ve tried, we simply can’t possibly find every instance where our branding exists and must be updated.

If you find old versions of our logos anywhere (on the web or on campus) would you do us a favour and report back so we can make updates? 

Found an outdated logo? Email us: dalbrand@dal.ca
Two students walking on campus.