Photo, video, and illustration style

Photography

Photography is one of our most widely used and influential brand assets. Whether downloading from the Wilhelmsen image library, commissioning a photo shoot, or finding stock imagery – high quality photos are critical to creating a genuine and authentic Wilhelmsen communication.

Wilhelmsen’s brand photography is divided into four categories:

Presence
Authenticity defined through diversity, professionalism, collaboration, caring and warmth. The people and the personality of Wilhelmsen.

Actions
The breadth and scope of what we do. From inspecting ships, delivering products and handling port calls to management and business deals.

Context
The global context in which we operate. Cities, docks, oceans, offices – showing our global reach.

Products
Our products exactly as they are, in a clean, white studio environment.

Photographic Style

Focus on our people [Presence + Actions]
Wherever possible, you should try to use images of our people enjoying being involved in carrying out their daily tasks, proving what we are the most; reliable, competent, available, adaptive and inspiring. We want to show an “outside and in”- view of who we are and how we are enabling sustainable global trade.

By seeing the images, people should understand that Wilhelmsen is delivering on our brand promise: “Enhancing business and simplifying operations with the leading people, services and solutions of the maritime industry.”

It is of great importance that the situations and scenarios we show are as authentic as possible. People should be portrayed in their own environment, where they feel secure and at ease. The photographer should try to be discrete – acting as a fly on the wall rather than taking an in your face approach. If possible, let the scenes play out naturally and document it as it is happening.

We want to demonstrate diversity throughout our photography. Use a common sense approach to this. Be inclusive, but don’t try to include all ages, ethnicities and genders in one image or document as it will look forced.

Environments [Context]
Wilhelmsen is a global company. We can deliver our products and solutions anywhere in the world, and we operate in many different types of environments. We want to show this through breathtaking wide shots that communicate both our global presence and the scale of our operations as well as the beauty of the world.

Light and colour
Our photography style suggests a clean, crisp and bright colouring. The use of light is primary – light should be one of the main expressions and it should always be carefully considered as a part of the image. Natural and reflected light is preferred. Avoid direct flash whenever possible.

The colour grading is of great importance and should be carefully adjusted to match the style and tone of the desired image look. It is recommended to subtly “wash out” the colours, decreasing the saturation value without loosing too much colour and vividness. Strong colours that are in conflict with the Wilhelmsen primary colour palette should be subdued, and blue areas of the image should be adjusted to match Wilhelmsen Blue. To make sure the images do not become too cold, a hint of yellow can be added to the highlights.

Depth of field
In the Presence and Actions categories we strive for a shallow depth of field, focusing on the people and the actions they perform. The images in the Context category should instead use a very deep depth of field where everything is in focus.

Recurring element
The geometric circle is one of the major building blocks of Wilhelmsen’s new visual identity. Looking for circular shapes in the scene and including them in the photographs is not a requirement for all photographs, but it should be a subtle recurring element. It will help link the photography together, across categories.

Products
Photographing products is done quite differently from the three other categories. All products should be photographed in a white studio environment. At least one of the images in a series with the same product must be of the entire product with a white blown out background on all sides. This is needed for single image presentations of the products, like product sheets.

The product must be well lit and in perfect focus. Diffusing the light is preferred to avoid hard shadows. If the background is blown out in post rather than with lighting during the shoot, please ensure a smooth and natural transition between shadows and background.

Presence and/or Actions category images where products are being used can be added as introductory images for each product category on websites, in product catalogs and brochures, etc.

Retouch

Never exaggerate in retouching. Maintaining a natural look is always key. Third party logotypes and similar should always be removed if they have no or limited connection with our company. Strive for natural skin tones, and remove spots, dark circles and skin irregularities.

Video

Using video to communicate is one of the most engaging ways to connect with our audience. These simple guidelines will help you create video content in accordance with our new visual identity.

When creating live motion video, please refer to our photographic style above. The same principles apply to videos. Especially the colour grading is important to get right. Use our brand photography as a reference when colour grating to achieve a similar look. For animated videos, please refer to the illustration guidelines below.

All video content must show our logo. At the very least the logo must be shown at the end of the video for no less than two seconds, preferably at least three. When overlaying the logo on video it should be either black or white depending on which colour results in the most contrast to the background. If the background is calm and bright, you may use the blue logo as long as it does not come into conflict with other colours in the scene. If starting or ending with a white background the logo must be Wilhelmsen Blue. Always make sure the logotype is clear and legible.

Logo placement in videos is centred, both horizontally and vertically. This is an exception to the standard top left placement which is use on most other surfaces.

Subsidiary descriptors should appear after the Wilhelmsen logo at the end of the video, as part of the standard end frame animation, as described under Bookends (see below).

Showing the logo in the top left corner for the duration of the video is not recommended as it is unnecessary in almost all situations, and it can also be quite distracting. If absolutely necessary, for whatever reason, the logo and, if applicable, the subsidiary name should be placed according to the guidelines in the Core Elements chapter under Logo and Subsidiary Companies.

Bookends

We have created standardised bookends (meaning the start and end frames of videos) which can be implemented in all videos produced for Wilhelmsen and its subsidiary companies. Using these is the easiest way ensure consistency across all video content.

Start (optional): Videos should start with the W flag as shown in the video example.
End (mandatory): Videos must end with the Wilhelmsen logo and if applicable transition to show both the Wilhelmsen logo and the subsidiary descriptor as shown in the video example.

The bookends are available to download in HD (1920x1080) resolution with a frame rate of 25p in ProRes. If you need higher resolution or a different frame rate, use these as a reference when you create your own version.

Typography

All typography in videos must be in accordance with our typography guidelines. Additional guidelines apply for video content: The Tiempos typeface should only be used in large sizes, as it might become hard to read when the video is watched at low resolutions which is often the case when streamed online. To secure optimal readability, use Aktiv Grotesk as much as possible.

Illustrations

We primarily use photography to support our communication, but there is also the possibility to use illustrations to create excitement, attract attention or explain our products, services and solutions.

Across our organisation the types of illustrations required varies quite a bit between business areas and target groups. Therefore we have not defined a specific illustration style to be used in all situations. However, certain guidelines are in place to ensure harmony across illustrations and with the overall visual identity:

All illustrations should only use colours from our primary, neutral and secondary palettes. When necessary, you are allowed to use shades of these colours as well. When buying stock illustrations, make sure the file is editable and that the license allows for modifications.

Our illustrations must be professional and modern, but be aware that contemporary illustration styles frequently develop and change. Avoid styles that are part of a current trend which can potentially feel dated quite quickly. Keep the illustrations as simple as possible – avoid unnecessary decoration and distracting elements.

All illustrations within the same surface or publication must have the same style to avoid a fragmented look. If text is part of the illustration, make sure it is in accordance with our typography guidelines.

Iconography

Icons are typically used to aid with navigation in our apps and other digital surfaces, or as very simple illustrations. To maintain a consistent look and feel across platforms and surfaces we have pre approved a set of icons called Streamline which can be licensed from streamlineicons.com. This set currently contains 5000 icons in 97 categories and should cover all our current and future needs. In the unlikely event that you do not find the icons you need within this set, a designer can be commissioned to create additional icons as long as they have the same look and feel – more specifically the same size, level of detail and line thickness – as the Streamline icons.

The icons should only appear in the outlined style. If more solid icons are needed you may place them on a circular background. Do not use the filled style included with the download from Streamline.

The icons should primarily be black or Wilhelmsen blue on bright backgrounds or white on Wilhelmsen blue or other dark backgrounds. However if your design requires it, you may also use colours from our primary, neutral and secondary palettes.

Commissioning Creative Work

Just as with out logo, colours, typefaces, and graphical elements it is of great importance that the style and quality of our brand photography, videos and illustrations is consistent wherever it appears throughout the world. This will strengthen the brand and add to the visibility of our company.

We acknowledge that the circumstances, challenges and opportunities vary between each project, location and market, and that there are obvious differences in both style and methodology between artists. For this reason a large part of the process will be ensuring the right quality as well as compliance with our visual identity guidelines.

There is no single way to commission and manage a creative project, but the following steps should be taken in order to maintain visual consistency as well as to ensure a smooth process:

• Use artists with a proven track record for delivering high quality work.
• Make sure the chosen artist is given access to Wilhelmsen’s photo, video and illustration guidelines as presented above, as well as visual references in the form of relevant photos, videos or illustrations already created for Wilhelmsen. This will leave little or no room for misinterpretation by the artist.
• Be sure to specify the intended format and all technical requirements for the final art before the artist starts working.
• Clearly state the deadlines for drafts and final art, as well as an indication of the time needed for feedback and approval. Please note that delays in providing feedback to the artist may also delay the delivery of the final art.
• Make sure the proper documentation exists for all commissioned works. This must include a specification of the usage rights, e.g. license duration, number of countries, number of digital and physical reproductions, etc.

You are welcome to contact Corporate Communications for further guidance and/or assistance when commissioning creative work.