Templates and patterns

Brand Atlas ships starter templates for the four most common Horizon types. Each template is a pre-populated structure with the blocks the Horizon type usually needs and prompts where content should go. Templates are starting points, not constraints; delete blocks that do not apply, add blocks the template did not anticipate.

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The four standard templates

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Sub-brand template

For a sub-brand, product brand, or affiliated entity that has its own identity within the parent brand. The template includes:

• Sub-brand definition and parent relationship.
• Sub-brand lock-up with the parent.
• Standalone marks (when the sub-brand appears without the parent).
• Colour deltas from the parent palette.
• Typography deltas from the parent system.
• Voice notes specific to the sub-brand.
• “Do and don’t” for combined use.

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Campaign template

For a time-bounded campaign with its own visual and verbal treatment. The template includes:

• Campaign definition, duration, audience.
• Visual system specific to the campaign.
• Typographic treatment (often a deliberate deviation from the standard).
• Photography direction for the campaign shoot.
• Tone notes for campaign-specific copy.
• The asset library for the campaign.
• The expected end date (campaigns archive at the end date).

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Regional adaptation template

For a language, market, or cultural adaptation of the brand. The template includes:

• Region or language scope.
• Typographic adaptation (Arabic, CJK, Cyrillic, or other script support).
• Colour adjustments for cultural appropriateness.
• Photography direction for regional imagery.
• Voice adaptations and translations of key terms.
• Local partner contacts.
• The legal and regulatory considerations specific to the region.

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Partnership template

For a co-branding arrangement with another organisation. The template includes:

• The partner’s name and contact.
• The legal scope of the partnership.
• The co-branded lock-up.
• The boundaries of joint use (channels, territories, durations).
• The partner’s rules that Brand Atlas needs to respect.
• The escalation path if either side has a concern.
• The expiry of the arrangement.

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Picking a template

When you create a new Horizon, the editor offers the four templates plus a blank option. Pick the template that most closely matches the Horizon you have in mind. The template is applied as the starting structure; you edit from there. If none of the templates fit, start from blank. The visual editor’s block menu has every block type available.

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Customising templates for your atlas

The four templates are universal defaults. A brand running many Horizons of the same type often benefits from customised templates that match how that brand specifically writes its Horizons. On Guardian, the brand owner can create custom templates from any existing Horizon. Open the Horizon, choose Save as template, give it a name and a description. Future Horizons can be created from the custom template.

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Patterns beyond templates

Some patterns recur in Horizons regardless of type:

• The expiry date block. Whenever a Horizon has a known end (a campaign, a partnership, a regional pilot), set the expiry in the frontmatter or in the Horizon’s settings. The atlas archives it automatically on the date.
• The audience block at the top. Stating clearly at the top of the Horizon who it is for. Useful for team members who arrive via search and need to know whether the Horizon applies to them.
• The “still in flight” callout. When a Horizon is provisional, mark it as such in a <Warning> block at the top. Useful for campaigns being prepared.
• The escalation block at the bottom. For Horizons with sensitivity (regional content, partnerships, internal-only), a final block stating the escalation path. Who to ask when something is unclear.

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When a Horizon outgrows its template

The template is a frame, not a cage. If the Horizon has grown beyond what the template covered, that is usually a sign:

• The Horizon is doing more than one Horizon should. Split it.
• A pattern has emerged that should become a custom template. Save it.
• The standard sections should absorb material the Horizon has been holding. Move it.

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