Updated February 2025

Table of Contents

Introduction

Campaign Strategy

Creative Direction

Establishing Art

Campaign Voice

Color

Typography

Lockup

Design

Contact

Introduction

This style guide contains all of the basic fundraising campaign brand elements along with direction on their usage to ensure that we are creating materials consistently.

WHEN TO USE THE NEXT LEVEL CAMPAIGN:

The Next Level Fundraising Campaign was created for use in all Advancement-related communications leading up to and through celebrating the UH centennial in 2027. It was created and launched concurrently in the 2024-25 academic year along with a larger universitywide reputational platform (Can’t Stop Houston).

If you are creating a piece of communication that is fundraising in nature for the university, the Next Level Campaign is the one to use.

WHEN TO NOT USE THE NEXT LEVEL CAMPAIGN:

The Can’t Stop Houston Reputational Platform should be used for key brand and reputational building pieces that are not fundraising in nature. Think of it as the university’s overall tagline that can be used on everything aside from fundraising pieces.

If you have additional questions check out our FAQs section at the end of this style guide for additional information.

Campaign Strategy

This is the summary of the internally facing strategy, which was crafted to frame up the positioning of the campaign. Taking our proof points into consideration along with the situation we’re creating work in, the campaign strategy establishes the initial framework the campaign is built upon.

AUDIENCES

To reach the Top 50 and our goal of raising another $1 billion, we must motivate audiences to invest in UH. For our campaign to be effective, we must understand who we’re communicating with and what motivates them. 

UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON COMMUNITY

HOUSTON

→ This is our core group, primarily made up of people who already know us well and are familiar with our recent wins and success. Alumni, existing donors, faculty, staff, students and their families all have their own needs and wants, but they should be inspired by and take pride in our campaign. They will play active roles in its success and ultimately benefit once we are successful in breaking into the top 50 public research institutions nationally and reaching our new $1 billion goal.

→ The city of Houston itself as well as the Greater Houston region possesses vast potential. Its sheer size and diversity are a mirror image of our positioning and persona as a university. While nearly 80% of UH alumni remain in the area after graduation, a community as large and diverse as Houston’s is full of people who are not affiliated with UH in any official capacity. We represent them and benefit them nonetheless. This campaign will help us continue to benefit everyone in the Greater Houston region – regardless of their ties to UH – in myriad ways.

STATE OF TEXAS

GREATER WORLD

→ One of the most influential cultural and economic states in the most powerful nation in the world, Texas deserves another Top 50-ranked public research university. The state of Texas has offered UH its strong support, and in return, we want to match that commitment so that we can continue to offer solutions Texans need and bring prominence and innovation to drive its growth.

→ UH graduates and their impact extend far beyond Houston and Texas. We have alumni all over the country and the world who earn their degrees here before going on to make their contribution to society at large. These individuals look to UH as a catalyst for their own success, and they also care about the continued success of their institution as a reflection of their own.

Creative Direction

Our creative direction for this campaign is centered on the idea of “Next Level.” The following paragraph is intended for internal reference only to explain the core idea and theme the overall campaign creative platform is built upon.

Note: In official outward facing language we do not

reference the previous Here, We Go Campaign.

ESTABLISHING IDEA 

Coming off of the University of Houston’s historic $1 billion Here, We Go  Comprehensive Campaign, UH  is poised to take its next step. While most institutions would take a break, UH takes a moment to catch its breath before moving on to its next audacious goal, rallying together once again to double down on the momentum built to date, raise our next billion and break into the Top 50 public research institutions nationally. A new goal is nothing new at the UH. Once we reach the next goal we set, there’s always a next level that awaits.

Establishing Art

The following layouts are intended to establish the visual system for the campaign. They are not intended for outward messaging, so they were not designed to work as standalone pieces of communication for any specific medium or placement aside from demonstrating the initial system.

NEXT LEVEL THEME

Ways the theme works.

NEXT LEVEL IS SCALABLE. 

As a campaign name, Next Level can describe big, important initiatives we’re taking a leading role in as an institution (i.e., Next Level Research), but it can also work colloquially. Describing everyday actions (big and small) that we do at UH as “next level” is an element of the campaign that we see taking off organically once we publicly launch.

IT CAN HOLD OUR HISTORIC MOMENTS.

We have great success stories, past, present and on the horizon that support a big, bold statement like Next Level. We want to get full credit for all of these successes so that anyone who is getting to know us more fully is aware of all of our successes.

IT PULLS US FORWARD AND UPWARD.

Next Level is a call to rise into the Top 50 and raise our next billion dollars, but to also reach for a next level in our daily lives, raising the expectations we have and our mindset about how we should conduct ourselves.

PROPER STYLING OF THE CAMPAIGN NAME IN STANDARD COPY

When the campaign title ( Next Level  ) appears in line in standard communications, the proper formatting is to italicize the campaign name and to include proper modifiers for initial mentions as outlined below.

→ Initial mentions of the campaign in standard copy should use the full descriptive title of the campaign which includes “UH” and a capitalized “Fundraising Campaign” modifier. 

FIRST MENTION:

Introducing the UH Next Level Fundraising Campaign.

→ Additional references to the Campaign can be more informal and truncated to a shorthand of the Next Level Campaign where “Next Level” remains italicized and “Campaign” remains capped.

SECONDARY MENTIONS:

The Next Level Campaign launched in 2025.

→ For additional references in longer-format pieces, it is acceptable to refer to the campaign as Next Level (maintaining the italicized formatting) or as the Campaign (maintaining the capitalization of Campaign). 

Campaign Voice

In many ways, President Renu Khator personifies the UH Next Level Fundraising Campaign, starting with her inspiring belief that we should always aspire to the next level in all parts of our work, scholarship, community impact and achievement. The campaign voice takes on her familiar tone of optimism, enthusiasm and  urgency about the importance of striving to become a Top 50 public research institution and raising the funds that will help fuel our rise. 

Our campaign speaks as the voice of a motivating mentor who at once acknowledges our successes and holds us accountable to reach our full potential. The urgency comes from two sides: 

FIRST

A sense of the potential our institution has collectively and as individuals to take this next step in our growth, building on our strengths and successes to date. 

SECOND

A sense of purpose rooted in the belief that we should always aspire to the next level as our work serves as a foundational framework for uplifting the university, community, state and beyond.

Our focus is to provide the structure that elevates various aspects, such as health care, intellectual endeavors with faculty and research, nurturing talented students and cultivating a skilled workforce. Through our efforts in health care, discovery, teaching, arts and more, we aim to genuinely enhance lives, emphasizing the accurate portrayal of our mission.

It is a positive voice that talks confidently and always looks to motivate an audience to improve — whether it’s talking to our community about improving UH in their own way or to a donor to support the work we’re doing to reach our collective goals of raising funds and rising in the rankings.

KEEP IT REAL

We always want to come across as a real, relatable person. Write using clear, direct language in a conversational style. When faced with using a multisyllabic word or a simpler one, use the simpler one. Avoid jargon and technical terms to make sure your point is more easily understood across disciplines. Change rhythm and cadence to fit a typical, friendly speaking voice.

KEEP IT CONFIDENT BUT ALSO HUMBLE

We always want to frame up our stories in a confident, positive way. When we speak about our achievements, we also look to acknowledge what it took to obtain them.

You’ll find that whatever the success story is, we didn’t win the award, make the breakthrough or earn the job all on our own. It took support from a mentor, a scholarship, hard work of the student and sacrifices of a family to make it all possible. Acknowledging this balance allows us to speak about our wins in a relatable, human way, without coming across as cocky.

It also allows for us to naturally bring attention to the areas of support our campaign is funding.

HEADLINES

EXAMPLE 1

EXAMPLE 2

"WHAT DO YOU DO AFTER YOU'VE SEEMINGLY DONE IT ALL?"

The Next Level Campaign never settles. It acknowledges our impressive successes in a respectful way but without coming off as being impressed with ourselves. The way it lists our recent achievements serves as more of a ladder leading to a next step up rather than a look back at how we’ve arrived at this point.

"AROUND HERE, WE GO FOR THE TOP. TOP 50."

No matter how impressive a success might be, there is always a Next Level to attain. This campaign uses our achievements as its foundation to remind us all to be inspired to go even further.

"BECAUSE BREAKING INTO THE TOP 50 MATTERS."

Direct mentions of why reaching the “Top 50 matters” is good, matter-of-fact phrasing to bring into messaging. We also like that it provides continuity by integrating the phrasing and messaging that existed leading up to the campaign’s creative platform development.

EXAMPLE 3

"A SCHOLARSHIP BROUGHT PH.D. CANDIDATE SAMEER DAMBAL TO UH. NOW, SAMEER IS BRINGING THE QUANTUM COMPUTING WORLD ALONG WITH HIM."

Stories, whether they are about programs, people or our institution at large, can take on a structure where headlines have a before-and-after quality. Here, we start with how a campaign priority (scholarships) brought a student like Sameer to UH before moving into the second part of that headline, where we explain how Sameer took UH to a next level with his contributions.

This device is flexible and offers a way to frame up stories within the campaign so they feel consistent and integrated within the overall theme.

"NEXT LEVEL STUDENTS"

This series of slides in the digital Case Statement demonstrates the fill-in-the-blank ability of the Next Level Campaign’s language where we can add on any topic or focus of fundraising after Next Level to indicate how our fundraising efforts will take that topic to a next level. Examples: NEXT LEVEL FACULTY, NEXT LEVEL HEALTH, NEXT LEVEL ATHLETICS, NEXT LEVEL STUDENTS, NEXT LEVEL EXPERIENCE, etc.

"WE HAVE A HISTORY OF MAKING HISTORY"

Good headline writing can still be woven in along with headlines that use some of the preapproved campaign language. In this case a parallel structure that highlights UH’s proud tradition of making impact fits right in after our fill-in-the-blank series of headlines on previous slides. Original headlines like these are helpful for breaking up a reader’s experience.

Color

COLOR 101

RGB

RGB stands for red, green and blue and is useful for digital executions such as a presentation that is intended to be viewed on screen, banner ads or a digital billboard, for example.

CMYK

CMYK is useful for more traditional four-color printing methods using blends of cyan, magenta, yellow and black colors to produce full-color materials.

HEX

Hex codes, short for hexadecimal color codes, are six-digit alpha-numeric representations of RGB colors typically referenced for websites and other online applications such as HTML email platforms that use and CSS (Cascading Style Sheets). 

PMS

PMS is short for Pantone Matching System and offers the widest range of colors. This option is useful if you’re working on materials where a unique color can be premixed and applied, like the printing of a custom banner or choosing a spot color to add to a traditional CMYK print run.

PALETTE

Red and White are UH's most recognizable colors. Whenever the Next Level Campaign has a first-impression opportunity (e.g., mailers, brochure cover, booklet cover, landing pages, billboards, etc.), lean on these colors to help reinforce brand recognition.

From a color theory perspective, Red and White offer a truly optimal level of contrast; a great insight to keep in mind when trying to seek the attention of a more general audience. Or from a UI perspective, buttons, pop-ups, CTAs, etc.

Black – while being high-impact – is a very heavy color; therefore, it should be used sparingly. You'll see Black primarily used as an accent color in our campaign's textures, linework, starburst and buttons.

DIGITAL

When designing for web, refer to this diagram for approved color pairings. A green check means the pairing passed WCAG AA standards within the associated category (Normal Text, Large Text, UI+Graphics).

Typography

Typography is a distinctive aspect of the campaign’s design. It informs the tone and is a key component to establishing messaging hierarchy in layouts.

LICENSING

Typefaces are intellectual property and need to be properly licensed and installed for users who require them to create materials. The links provided along with each typeface below lead to where each typeface can be purchased as needed for anyone creating  branded materials. 

This font is used mainly as an accent font for campaign headlines. It is an extended-width font within the United Sans family, which was the headline typeface for the initial Here, We Go Fundraising Campaign.

Used mainly for subheads and callouts when a progression in the copy from headline to subhead and body copy is preferred. It can also provide an alternate headline style to change pace over multiple-page pieces in combination with the primary headline typeface.

Utilized primarily for longer-form body copy, callouts and captions.

USAGE EXAMPLES

HIERARCHY

Size, scale and placement all factor into how information is digested. There is no exact rule or formula established here; simply be sure there is a noticeable hierarchy between fonts and sizes. 

Our headline formatting style is geared around making impactful, one-two punch statements. Start with a big hook, followed by the payoff.

Another way to think about it: what do we want the at-a-glance message to be?

DEFAULT FONT OPTIONS

For situations where someone needs to create materials such as a branded presentation or email, but the platform they are using doesn’t support our specific brand fonts, these default font choices provide backup options that are available in Microsoft software and are generally available for use in email builders. 

Note: If you run into an issue where these default fonts are not available, please notify the primary contact found at the end of this guide and we can work to find a solution. 

Lockup

STEPPED LOCKUP

The UH Next Level lockup staggers “Next” and “Level” to produce a stepped progression that reinforces the name and concept of the overall campaign. This staggered setting of the campaign name provides a place where we often situate the UH mark and full University of Houston logotype in above “Next.”

This lockup is great for larger-scale applications such as covers, billboards and banners.

ABRIDGED LOCKUP

Due to the size relationship of the University of Houston logotype in the stepped lockup (above), it may not scale down well in every case, potentially causing readability issues. 

The abridged lockup is designed as an alternative for these small real estate situations. 

This lockup is great for smaller-scale applications such as postcards, page margins and website navigation.

STEPPED LOCKUP

CLEAR SPACE

For digital and print, the minimum clear space is equal to half the height of "LEVEL," labeled here as "2X."

That said, don’t worry about busting a ruler out every time – it’s totally okay to eyeball it – just use this diagram as a general guide.

The purpose of clear space is to help keep text and graphics from overlapping the lockup or getting mistaken for part of the lockup.

ABRIDGED LOCKUP

CLEAR SPACE

For digital and print, the minimum clear space is equal to half the height of the lockup, labeled here as "2X." 

As noted above, it’s okay to use this diagram as a general guide. 

The purpose of clear space is to help keep text and graphics from overlapping the lockup or getting mistaken for part of the lockup.

MINIMUM WIDTHS

To ensure optimal readability, make sure to stick to these minimum widths.

Digital: 270px 

Print: 3.75"

Digital: 100px 

Print: 1"

COLOR COMBINATIONS

Stick to these approved combinations for optimal contrast and readability.

LOCKUP MISUSE

Avoid any of the following with all versions of the lockup.

Stretched or compressed

Non-campaign colors

Warped

Rearranged elements

Replaced fonts

Effects

Rotation

Busy/low-contrast background

Design

DIALED-UP MODE

With this mode of layout, we are trying to grab attention and stand out in a crowded marketplace. This mode is typically good for big impact spreads in a multipage print piece or brand moments in digital or print advertising. 

SOPHISTICATED MODE

This mode dials back the use of its various visual components to provide a more simplified and sophisticated impression. By purposefully restraining the number of graphic elements that we use at any given time, we also allow for more organization and white space in layouts to guide a viewer’s experience with our compositions.

Graphic Elements

The UH Next Level  Fundraising Campaign’s design platform offers a range of graphic elements and techniques that are used to create compositions within these layout modes. 

STEPPED PHOTOGRAPHY

Layouts can use staggered photographs progressing up and to the right like the examples shown here from a slide of the initial campaign-establishing art. This technique can be used with two or more photos.

VINTAGE THROWBACKS

These assets provide an instant dose of heritage to the campaign. When using these assets, always strive to position and crop them in a way that doesn’t show old seals, university logos or “U of H” text. It’s more about the feel of vintage than featuring or calling out an old design.

HOUSTON GRIT TEXTURE

This texture is often paired with the vintage throwback layers to add a stylized finish. It’s a design element that is a carryover from the Here, We Go Campaign assets, so it also adds a subtle visual integration of previous campaign communications.

REPETITIVE PATTERNS

The words “Next Level” can be used to create patterns.

STAR

The eight-pointed star shape is inspired by buildings on campus and serves as an icon that can be used to accent layouts individually, in small groupings or in a repeating pattern. It can also be used at larger scales as a framing window in compositions.

LINEWORK

Used as a framing mechanism and bordering element, this campaign element is inspired by campus architecture.

RULES

Thin rules can be used to create needed breaks between subheads and body copy. These rules continue off the linework elements of the brand and serve as an accent element that can be used as needed. They typically are used full-width of the column of copy as seen in this example.

"PAINT IT RED" OVERLAY

Red overlays can be used over background photos for added context and layering in layouts.

UPWARD H

This abstracted H points up and to the right to form an arrow symbol. Paired with the campaign’s signature star shape, it creates a shorthand mark that represents the UH Next Level Fundraising Campaign that can be used to anchor compositions.

COLOR GRADIENT

This color gradient is heavily rooted in the UH primary color of Red, but it features the brand’s White color as an end point. The gradient leans more Red overall, but the spectrum between the two adds energy to backgrounds in layout.

RISING GRADIENT

At times, like shown here, a gradient can be used to feather out thin linework for a subtle transition that creates space for other graphics or copy in a composition.

GRAPHIC LAYERING

The Next Level Campaign uses bold graphic treatments that show a layering effect to convey the concept of next level visually.

FAQs

Which campaign/platform and tagline should I use? 

If you’re communicating at the University level, use the Can’t Stop Houston platform. If you’re appealing directly to donors, use the Next Level Campaign. A simple reminder is that Can’t Stop Houston speaks broadly to all audiences while Next Level speaks directly to donor audiences. 

Will these campaigns always co-exist? 

The Can’t Stop Houston brand platform has no set timeframe or end date. In theory, it may live on well past the centennial and become a long-term fixture in UH marketing. The Next Level Campaign has a set timeline and a set goal tied to its duration.

Should the two campaign lockups be side-by-side? 

No. We want to avoid visual clutter and messaging confusion. 

What should an alumni event (like, say, a Crawfish Boil hosted by the Cullen College of Engineering in March) that sort of serves both advancement interests and the overall university use? 

The Next Level Campaign is good to use if the expectation of the event or piece of communication is to encourage a call-to-action of giving money to support the Next Level Campaign goals. There will also be times when events like these won’t need to be overly branded in either campaign if it’s not serving the purpose of fundraising or strengthening general awareness for the university.

Can we share some language across the campaigns? 

Yes, in fact, their shared DNA (which also extends to colors and photography along with language) will allow one to help make the case — “the reason we can’t be stopped is because we’re always pushing to reach the next level.”

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