XPRIZE is the idea of forward motion and progression. As a brand, we highlight the idea of collaboration and unity – of two sides coming together.

Defining these values help us to determine what matters most to XPRIZE and how we are a distinct, recognizable brand. They’re both a framework and criteria to align future communication and branding decisions.

Impactful

Radical breakthroughs propel us forward

We help people find breakthroughs in equity, environment and exploration, leading to real change that lasts. Why? Because we’re working toward a world where every single human being can access water, food and shelter.

Q: What problem is this solving? Who will this help? Will this have a radical impact?

Daring

There’s no such thing as a crazy idea

We set bold but achievable goals. For us, nothing is impossible or out of reach. If it’s going to prolong human life on earth, then we’re going to give it a go. If we fail, it’s okay – we learn and we move forward. We know that taking a risk is better than staying stagnant.

Q: What’s the craziest idea you can think of? Now how do we make that happen? Lean into what scares you.

Collaborative

More brains the better

One person can make a difference, but two heads are better than one – and it takes a team to get the job done. With many people working on one problem, impact is accelerated. We listen to one another, we share information, and we’re aligned with the end goal. We know what success looks like.

Q: Who can help us make this better? Who has a different perspective? What sort of team will help this succeed?

Dedicated

In a relationship with humanity

Not only do we care about doing good and helping people, we’ve made a commitment to ourselves to prolong humanity and work towards a more hopeful future. We have the opportunity to have meaningful and lasting impact, and we’re not going to waste it.

Q: How does this get us closer to our mission? Does this help humanity? How might we make this have greater impact for humanity?

Curious

Always questioning, always learning

We embrace the search and inquiry. We ask questions, we show interest in other areas of the business, and we take initiative. We know nothing is ever finished. We relish in the fact everyone is constantly learning, evolving and getting better.

Q: What’s the opposite version of this? Can I see this from someone else’s perspective? What elements informed this decision? What’s another avenue that we can pursue?

Transparent

An open book with nothing to hide

We are no nonsense. No lies. No time wasting. We’re real with our audiences and collaborators, and we’re real with each other. We share what we know because this leads to greater awareness, more candid conversations and a more impactful result.

Q: How can we make sure everyone’s on the same page? Is this something everyone can know about? Would you put that on a t-shirt?

XPRIZE is an impact platform facilitating a more hopeful future for humanity by finding breakthroughs in exploration, environment and equity that no one else on the planet can.

The XPRIZE brand visually ties into the three following design themes:

FORWARD PROGRESSION
BOLD & CONFIDENT
CLEAN & CONSIDERED

Throughout this guide, you’ll see examples of how color, photography, layout, motion and typography combine to express the above three guiding principles in various ways.

Since our rebrand launch:

• 396% increase in social fan engagement
• 49% increase in follower growth rate on Twitter
• 84% increase in social media impressions
• 20% increase in total LinkedIn Followers
• 95.6% web traffic increase
• 1,700% increase in PR impressions
  • Next-Gen Mask stats: 450M media impressions, 200+ media placements (Including: CNN, BusinessInsider, CNBC MSN, KTLA)

The XPRIZE mark represents the idea of forward motion and progression. We are not merely an X mark, or a placeholder, but the joining of two separate components. The significance of our brand is demonstrated through the duality of the mark, and the emergence of the arrow on the left-hand side. Simple, timeless and versatile.

Versatile lockups to cover all situations with options for all instances. Please note that the X mark should always appear with the word PRIZE either within the design, or in lockup form as shown below.

Through the subtle arrow shape on the left-hand side, we highlight the idea of collaboration and unity with the two sides coming together. The right side arrow of this logo is always 50% opacity, or a solid grey when the opacity compromises legibility.

WHICH LOGO SHOULD I CHOOSE?

The singular logos should be used in almost every setting above 100px, and when the logo is the core focus of a piece. When the logo is secondary, and used below 100px (e.g. on the upper left-hand corner of a report cover, or an email) use a lockup logo.

Most of the time

The lockup logos are the most flexible logos and should thus be used most of the time for legibility. Use the stacked logo for vertical formats, and the horizontal logo for landscape formats.

When specifying XPRIZE Foundation

There are times when saying XPRIZE Foundation is better because of clarity, i.e. in legal contracts, or our website home button. In these instances, we use the lockup logos for proper legibility.

Large formats

The wide lockup is great for horizontal or landscape formats, especially when the logo is used as a secondary element, or in a smaller use-case.

GREY TINT

The right-hand side of the X in our logos is always a solid grey, to ensure we maintain our concept of forward motion, or two elements coming together.

Examples & Usage

These are for illustrative purposes only – refer to the Applications section for final collateral examples.

The following logos are one-color, to be used only if absolutely necessary for one-color jobs. Otherwise, always use the primary logos.

Large one-color logos

For large use only, e.g. signage or printed banners.

We have four methods for establishing clear space throughout our logo suite:

Clear space around the logo is equal to the width and height from the edge of the box to the center of an arm in the X.

Clear space around the logo is equal to the width of one arm of the X.

Clear space around the logo is equal to the height of P in the word PRIZE.

Clear space around the logo is equal to the height of the X.

Our logos are designed to scale to small sizes on print and screen. The box logo is our main mark, but at smaller sizes, the word ‘PRIZE’ in the arm is less legible. If a logo has to be smaller than the specs below, use a lockup logo instead.

Use discretion. The box lockup and X lockup at smaller sizes are not as legible as the stacked and horizontal lockups. For the most part, use the lockups for anything smaller than 150px. Do not use any of the logos at a smaller size than those listed above.

For community and staff materials, like business cards or merch, we have a pattern version of the singular logo that may be used with permission. Check back in the future for more pattern logos and their designated use-cases.

Examples & Usage

These are for illustrative purposes only – refer to the Applications and Reports sections for final collateral examples.

The logo should always appear top or center-left, or top or bottom-center in a piece of collateral. See the below examples for illustrative purposes only. More examples can be made available upon request.

Please keep in mind the following:

Do not alter singular logos or lockups in any way.

Use the proper logo files instead.

Do not change the opacity of the X.

Always think of the logo as two arrows overlapping. The right-hand side should always have a 50% opacity of the left.

Always ensure there is ample legibility and contrast when placing the logo over imagery.

Use logos over clean imagery that ensures ample contrast. In larger use-cases, the transparent version of the lockup logo offers a nice sense of dimension over imagery or a colored background.

Avoid using black logos over dark colors, and white logos over light colors. Never use a colored version of the logo.

Always ensure there is ample legibility and contrast when placing the logo over a colored background.

Do not set logos in color. Logos are occasionally set in our brand colors, but with approval, on a case-by-case basis.

Color works best as a background. Always ensure ample contrast.

Do not combine pattern logo with wordmark.

The pattern logo should only be used as a singular mark.

Do not place one or two words of text beneath to the box logo, so as to avoid it looking like a new logo.

Always draw a clear distinction between a word, a slide header, a title or a descriptor, and the logo.

Do not create new logos by placing text next to the box logo.

Always draw a clear distinction between a word, a slide header, a title or a descriptor, and the logo. Sub-brands need to be created per an existing system, and with the approval of the marketing team.

Do not stretch logo.

Do not add dropshadow to logo.

Do not set the XPRIZE mark in a different typeface, or alter to use sentence-case.

Do not use an emoji in place of the logomark’s X. The X is never solid; it is always comprised of two parts.

XPRIZE is the proud name of our 25 year old platform for impact, on a global scale. While XPRIZE may be synonymous with the word competition, we are not defined by competitions alone, our mission and Massively Transformative Purpose (MTP) is our North Star; inspiring radical breakthroughs for the benefit of humanity. We deliver impact on a planetary scale, and our theory of change weaponizes different tools, from a full XPRIZE (for example, XPRIZE I RAPID RESKILLING) to an XPRIZE Challenge (i.e XPRIZE Next Gen Masks Challenge) to an XPRIZE Alliance (i.e. XPRIZE I PANDEMIC ALLIANCE).

We work across three key areas, Exploration, Environment and Equity – with thousands of potential applications, which makes messaging confusing and throttles comprehension and media success. Always leading with our brand name before our subject increases media pick up, storytelling and brand mentions for XPRIZE as well as sponsors. For example, XPRIZE I Carbon Removal sponsor NRG COSIA have seen 147% increase in brand mentions with 92% of all mentions directly attributed to XPRIZE since our rebrand.

A true XPRIZE is a multi-year global endeavor to solve one of the grandest challenges facing humanity – more than simply a competition. Typically lasting 3-5 years. A true XPRIZE has the potential to branch off into many franchise opportunities across platforms, including: education, youth and community engagement, incubators, long form docu-series, touring immersive experiences, new partnerships, and programs showcasing extensive impact work long after the competition element has ended.

You will also be familiar with this structure of brand architecture for many of your most loved and used brands. You will notice similar expression across industry – to help with your understanding and application think of these: Google Maps, Google Analytics, Google Search, Google Chrome. Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Media, Virgin Wines. Virgin Records. Porsche Macan, Porsche Cayenne, Porsche Boxster, Porsche Roadster. And of course the NOBEL Peace Prize.

If sponsors have an appetite to pursue a conversation on an inspiring new title sponsorship opportunity to cover the entire portfolio (i.e. BARCLAYS Premier League), please get in touch with our Advancement team.

The following lockups accommodate prizes without sponsors. When Prize names can’t be reduced to a single word, in this case Carbon Removal, we stack the two words to reduce overall width. The type size remains the same as normal, but the overall height of the three words matches that of the X Square for horizontal lockups. Prize names should never exceed two lines in lockups. See construction guidelines below.

When sponsor logos are extra wide, they can stretch the overall space of the lockup too much. When using long sponsor logos, we make them small and stacked — in the case of the Barbara Bush Foundation logo, the logo has been altered to run over two lines.

As a guide for spacing, the green rectangle represents the width we use to divide elements of the prize, such as the distance the type sits from the XPRIZE square, from the divider and the logos.

For sponsor logos that are generally square in size, they would fill up this kind of space, matching the height of the ‘XPRIZE EXAMPLE’ type lockup. Using the Google logo, we match the width of the logo to the width of the square.

For logos that are standard-wise, like the IBM Watson example, we keep the general height smaller than the prize name type lockup. This reduces the size of the logo and keeps the hierarchy intact.

In the case of multiple sponsors: for wide logos, we reduce the size further and stack them, aligning just inside the top and base of the dividing line. The Adult Literacy Prize is a good example of this.

In the case where the multiple logos are closer to square, we follow the same principle but have them sitting next to each other with the same dividing space. The width of each logo is matched to the width of the square.

Please keep in mind the following:

Do not alter the lockups in any way.

Use the provided logo lockups.

Do not alter the sponsor construction in any way, by adding or removing lines.

Stick to the construction guidelines, detailed above.

Do not add ‘Prize’ to the title of the prize, as it’s already in our name. Do not pass beyond two lines in a prize title.

Prize names should always keep to one or two lines of text.

A sponsor’s logo should never overpower the XPRIZE lockup.

Sponsor logos should always be the height or width of the prize lockup; whichever is smaller in vertical lockups, and the height or width of the box, whichever is smaller, in horizontal lockups.

In the instance of multiple sponsors, one sponsor’s logo must never overpower the other.

Co-sponsor logos should always carry the same weight or proportion in a single lockup.

The core XPRIZE color palette has a base of black, white and grey at its core. The addition of fuchsia and red can be used to brighten the brand, highlight something important, and add personality when necessary.

Black is core to our brand, representing our strength, power, and a bit of edge. Our slight off-white represents optimism, and when utilized as a background color, should always be given ample space for content and color to pop within. Grey is a neutral, tactile color, always present in our logo, and often in our texture imagery. Future Fuchsia and Radical Red are our main colors used to highlight, or draw attention to something important.

Logo Pantone color values (for print only)

The secondary palette should be utilized very occasionally, and never as the hero palette in a given piece of collateral. It should always follow the use of the core palette. Always ensure there is ample black or white space used, and color is only brought in as a highlight.

Neon Green is the most prominent of the secondary colors, while Aqua Blue, Universal Ultraviolet, and Sky Blue are used more as tertiary colors. If using more than one color, as with gradients, Neon Green is only used with Aqua Blue, and Universal Ultraviolet is only to be used with Sky Blue. No more than two colors should be used at a time.

When the XPRIZE brand needs to take a back seat to specific content, instead of using the brand palette, an alternate palette may be derived from key art or a hero image. The below are examples for illustrative purposes only.

Less color is always more. An alternate color derived from photography should always be used as a highlight – never a background color, unless with explicit approval from the marketing team.

Proportions

Color should be used sparingly throughout collateral in order to maintain meaning and potency. Fuscia and Red, as the core brand colors, should always appear before the use of the secondary palette.

Ample amount of white or black (via the background color and generous use of negative space) should always preface the addition of color. Think of color as a highlight – it should never overpower a piece of collateral.

Color Palette (illustrative purposes only)

Please keep in mind the following:

Unless derived from a photograph serving as the primary focus of a piece, do not use colors outside the brand palette. Do not combine brand colors with colors outside the palette.

Use brand colors, avoiding tints where possible.

Do not use color as an empowering element in a piece.

Use color as a highlight, while ensuring the rest of the piece is monochromatic.

Do not use more than two colors, or use colors that are complementary (like fuschia and green), instead of analogous (like fuschia and red).

One or two colors ensures the colors act as highlights and don’t overpower a piece. As a rule of thumb, work with analogous shades. These are the ideal color combinations.

Don’t use multiple colors per line of text.

Typography should either appear in one solid color, or an analogous gradient.

Do not use opacities of colors, unless in graphs.

Always use colors at 100% opacity.

The XPRIZE typography system combines versatility with character, ensuring high readability and distinctiveness wherever it’s used.

Messina is the primary typeface. It’s a workhorse font. It does most of the heavy lifting and is legible, clean, crisp and modern, but with unique character.

Trash is the secondary typeface. It should be used sparingly. It adds edge, distinction, and a little quirk. Made for impact statements.

Refer to the below specs and font weights when determining which font to use. Messina, always in sentence-case, works best in Light and SemiBold as headlines, SemiBold in subheads, Book in body copy, and Regular in small body copy.

Trash is always uppercase, never sentence-case. Bold works best for primary headlines and subheads, while Regular adds another dimension for logical shifts in headline sentences, or as second-part headline copy.

The following examples show how our fonts can be used and applied in various ways for full versatility and flexibility.

Using Google Font Alternatives

In programs like Google Slides, where our brand fonts are not available, use the Google Font alternatives Syncopate (for Trash) and Helvetica (for Messina Sans).

Syncopate and Helvetica are used in the same hierarchy as our brand typefaces. Syncopate is used for bold, large headline type and subheads. Helvetica is used for all body copy, caption copy, and subheads where there are many per slide.

Syncopate is not supported in certain email clients, like Gmail. It is supported in iOS mail, Apple mail, Android default mail client, Outlook 2000, Outlook App, and Samsung Mail.

Please keep in mind the following:

Never use Trash or Syncopate in sentence-case.

Always use Trash and Syncopate in uppercase.

Do not use Messina Sans in uppercase, as a long headline font. Avoid justifying text; left-align instead.

Messina is always used in sentence-case. Create a clear hierarchy with the font layout, so messaging is clear and easy to understand.

Do not use Trash Regular as the main or sole headline font weight. Do not use Trash Regular and Bold for long, multi-line headlines.

Trash Regular should always be used as a supplement to Bold. It always follows Bold, and is never used in a higher word-count than Bold. For long, multi-line headlines, use Bold only.

Do not combine typefaces within a single sentence, or where there is no clear break in the sentence.

Do not combine typefaces within a single sentence, or where there is no clear break in the sentence.

Do not use italic, or other weights of Trash not stipulated in the guide above.

Do not use italic, or other weights of Trash not stipulated in the guide above.

Do not use line spacing above or below the specs outlined above.

Trash uses 100% line spacing. Messina uses 140% line spacing.

Never use outlines, dropshadows, or other text effects.

Use solid, 100% opacity text. The cleaner, the better.

Do not overuse outlined text and do not use a heavy weight for outlines.

Use outlined text sparingly and with a light but visible line weight centred around the text.

Using the deconstructed ‘x’ as a central point of inspiration, a whole suite of patterns and forms begins to emerge. It represents the idea of forward-progression, collaboration and unity.

The arrow motif can be used in several creative patterns. Where possible, it’s better to use the arrow motif in motion as it allows the artwork to truly come alive and convey themes more strongly.

Movement

Scale

Linework derived from pattern logos is to be used on a case-by-case basis, with approval from the marketing team.

For illustrative purposes only.

Supporting graphics should only be used with approval by the internal marketing team. Should you utilize them, please keep in mind the following:

Avoid using arrow patterns in a downward direction, particularly when static.

Opt for arrows pointing upwards to feel more optimistic and positive.

Do not set arrow graphics in color.

Arrows should only be appear in black and white.

Do not use large arrows within patterns.

Arrow patterns look best when there are more, smaller arrows.

Patterns should never appear within a piece of informational collateral.

Patterns should be used in standalone, brand-centric pieces, with minimal to no copy, except the XPRIZE logo.

Patterns should never be used with photography or textures.

Patterns should only be used on a solid color or material surface.

Do not set pattern graphics in color.

Pattern graphics should only be appear in black, white or a foil with regard to print pieces. They can sit on a black, white, fuschia, red, or fuschia/red gradient background.

Do not combine arrows and pattern graphics. Use one or the other.

With arrows vs pattern graphics, always use one or the other.

Used in moderation, the following textures are a great way to add layering and visual interest to a piece of collateral. The criteria for the textures are:

— Minimal and sleek
— Abstract and full-bleed
— Free-form and moving

When to use?

As with color and supporting graphics, textures should be used minimally. They should never obscure, or detract from a piece of communication. Less is always more.

For illustrative purposes only.

Please keep in mind the following:

Do not use textures outside of the provided library of assets.

Textures are meant to express materiality. They have been carefully chosen and edited for cohesion.

A black and white image is not a substitute for the use of texture imagery.

Textures are always abstract, with no clear beginning or end in what is pictured.

Do not use tints to recolor texture imagery.

Think of textures as a layering element when used with color. Everything should appear at 100% opacity.

Textures should never be used as photography, or with prominence alongside another image.

Textures should never be used as photography, or with prominence alongside another image.

Avoid excessive layering of texture, color, logos and text.

Use no more than a background layer, a texture layer, and an image layer at a time. Do not layer text or a logo over an image.

Photography is often utilized throughout the XPRIZE brand to add dimension and distinction to XPRIZEs and topics. Throughout XPRIZE imagery, clear focal points, abstract crops, and one or two main colors, allow information to be aptly supported, not distracted from.

Our imagery is graphic and strong. There is often one core color, with very little range in texture or focal points throughout – this is to ensure the imagery is not distracting from the information it pertains to, and that they’re able to accommodate a range of sizes and contexts.

Representation

As a global organization, it is important for us to depict people of all ethnicities and backgrounds, with respect, empowerment, and agency. We seek to uplift and treat people, especially people of color, like people – not as props, people who need saving, or as supporting characters in our own missions.

Examples & Usage

For illustrative purposes only.

Key art is used specifically to encompass the spirit and content of an XPRIZE. These are highly focal, bright and colorful, abstract images meant to instantly capture the attention of the viewer.

Photography

When the nature of an XPRIZE lends itself to using real photography, for example, Wildfires or Carbon Removal, select imagery that is bright, colorful, and has the sense of an all-over pattern. This ensures the image can be cropped or masked in a variety of ways without losing the essence of the image.

3D/CGI Illustration

Sometimes, the abstract nature of a prize topic makes it difficult to source a compelling stock image, or we want to capture a more abstract, futuristic texture or concept that doesn’t exist.

Please keep in mind the following:

Do not use overly busy photography with several focus points.

Imagery should be clear, clean and singular in its focus.

Do not use imagery that does not have a strategic crop.

Cropping imagery so that the focus is large, clear and taking up the entire photo, creates a composition that is abstract, and does not deter focus from information or the brand.

Do not use imagery with more than two prominent colors.

Restricting the color palette of photography ensure our imagery remains graphic, eye-catching and cohesive.

Do not use imagery that does not clearly pertain to the topic at hand.

Always seek out unique, interesting, relevant imagery that supports and draws attention to the topic at hand.

Do not use images with a strong color tint or grade.

Imagery should be true-to-color, crisp, hi-res, and no apparent editing. Think “National Geographic” or photo-journalism.

Do not use images on blank backgrounds in an overtly posed studio setting.

Imagery should depict the real world. Think “National Geographic” or photo-journalism.

Do not use images that feel overly posed, contrived or feel like stock photos.

Any imagery that depicts people should be supporting content that is about people. In this case, always use natural, candid imagery, that feels like the viewer is there. Think “National Geographic” or photo-journalism.

Do not use images that depict people, especially people of color, as victims in need of saving, or through the gaze of an outsider. Culture should not be overtly fetishized.

Always use imagery that depicts real, dimensional people as empowered, with agency, and/or as partners in our shared mission for the world.

With respect to key art, avoid an image with more than one focal point, or an image that is too obscured when masked in the righthand side of the X.

Key art imagery needs to be able to be readable at a quick glance, especially when masked in the righthand side of the X.

Avoid neutral or too light/too dark images for key art.

Key art imagery should be bright, vibrant and colorful – with enough contrast to be able to work on a white or black background.

Do not use images of people in key art.

Key art imagery should always be a conceptual image, leaning on the side of abstraction and/or all-over pattern.

In motion, we turn the design theories of the XPRIZE brand into reality. Forward motion and progression becomes literal and reinforces the concept further. We bring the same overarching design values and philosophies through each piece we animate, applying them to any logo animation, title, lower third and beyond.

In tandem with each static logo lockup, we have the animated versions that drive the concept further. To be used in any video use case.

Hero Supers

For supers that are single-word and of more importance to the piece, we have three ways of animating; slide, scale and unite.

Slide

Scale

Unite

Long Supers

For long supers that move the narrative along and use more words, we keep motion minimal and let the words speak for themselves. We keep both the type and motion to the centre of frame and keep a comfortable space from the edge of frame in order to keep focus and readability.

When we use gradients, either in their pure form or masked within type, we slowly move between the three established gradients on a perpetual loop.

To break up footage and add interest, we use interstitials. Always sliding left-to-right, they come and go in a flash – and bridge Shot A to Shot B.

As a representation of community, we use our XPRIZE arrow in a synchronised shoal. Together, we scale, slide and rotate.

Rotate

Scale

Slide

Optimism

In motion, the geometric patterns turn into perpetual scenes of graphic movement. We focus on repetition, growth and progression.

To be used on a case-by-case basis, with approval from the marketing team.

This section is in progress. Please check back later or reach out to the marketing team with questions.

The arrow can be a mask that holds textures. Use with restraint and as a way of adding a spark of visual interest. Masking can also be used as a tool in a video’s edit – by rotating and zooming, we push through the arrow and open up the frame.

In this case the arrow is used in the same way as an interstitial – three arrows, each with their unique version of the aluminium foil texture, move through the composition.

In the square format, we push through the square that’s found in edge of the arrow.

In the vertical format, we push through the tall vertical rectangle that’s found in the right side of the arrow.

Finally, in the horizontal format, we push through the wide rectangle that’s found in the top side of the arrow.

This section is in progress. Please check back later or reach out to the marketing team with questions.

Using large type that fills the screen to show a location.

An example of using two widths of our typeface for a 3-line super.

Pairing a message with footage, we stack blocks & move left-to-right. *note that the timing of this is purely indicative, we would hold on the message for as long as it takes to read it.

Lower Thirds A. This one is a bit more attention-grabbing, pairing a texture with a fuchsia square and the grey rectangle to house the name info. Each piece slides in left-to-right and holds until we cut.

Lower Thirds B. Similar to A, but with just a texture and grey rectangle. The pieces slide in left-to-right and hold until we cut.

Lower Thirds C. A much more subtle approach when needed. Note that this one requires the footage to be dark enough to see the white text clearly.

Lower Thirds D. The same as C, except we also introduce the XPRIZE X – likely only to be used for XPRIZE staff members and the like.

Optimistic & straightforward

Description

We should sound like we genuinely want to help humanity – because we do.

Do

Be direct, conversational, honest, positive, friendly

Own mistakes, keep promises and look on the bright side

Don’t

Be boring, TMI or too transparent

Oversell what we do, over promise or use jargon

Disruptive & visionary

Description

We believe we can improve human life on earth, and we’ll do whatever it takes to facilitate change.

Do

Be enterprising, insightful, interested, proactive

Explain how we’ll reach a solution, ask questions and connect dots

Don’t

Be elitist, arrogant, overbearing, effusive or sappy

Use passive voice, unnecessary big words or hog the microphone

Youthful & urgent

Description

We take our work seriously and we are not afraid to show the impact we’re making

Do

Be responsive, no-nonsense, irreverent, persistent

Speak up and often, show initiative, include others

Don’t

Be too casual, sassy or earnest

Waste time, preach, make people feel bad or guilty

Involve the reader and get on their level

Write like the reader can be a part of what’s happening, rather than just witnessing it. Speak to them, not at them, and give them a stake in the game.

Instead of:

In our third and final edition of the blog featuring our Grand Prize Finalists, we hear from Team ARGGONAUTS-Fraunhofer IOSB hailing from Germany; Team Tao, from the U.K.; and Team KUROSHIO, representing Japan. Read on to find out more about these teams…

Try:

Take a dive with the Team Tao and find out why they’re competing for the Shell Ocean Discovery XPRIZE.

Make it personal; make it human

Showing how prizes are tied directly to outcomes involves taking steps to make XPRIZE’s ‘big picture’ relatable to the reader.

Instead of:

We are living in an age of innovation, an unprecedented era of technological progress and prosperity driven by energy.

Try:

Climate anxiety getting you down? It’s not all bad: Meet the people making our world’s carbon emissions into watches, pens, and even vodka – made possible by the $9M NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE.

Don’t just show what it is – show what it means

In shorter content pieces (e.g. social) the reader can lack context about why they should care, or why prize/solutions matter. We can resurface our ‘why’ in shorter formats by upping the relatability and piquing imaginations.

Instead of:

Robotic avatars have the potential to impact the world, especially when it comes to exploration, providing care and rare skills.

Register here by September 30 to compete for the $10M prize purse provided by ANA!: [link]

Try:

Imagine if we could transport a set of life-saving skills to a place too dangerous for humans to go. Robotic avatars could do just this – helping human operators save lives in remote locations in real time, as if we were truly there.

The $10M ANA Avatar XPRIZE is set to make sure that saving lives is never out of reach. Team registrations are open until September 30 – find out more: [link]

To draw out the ‘why’ in a first draft, start by filling in the blanks:

[prize] is tied to [phenomenon/problem]. For us, this means [solution that touches the reader’s reality] and [fascinating possibility].

Use active voice

Instead of:

The XPRIZE was won by Team Nimbro.

Try:

Team Nimbro won the XPRIZE.

Social Media

Captions/Posts

Remember to:

• @tag all related entities
• full-stop each sentence, and
• use a #TitleCase hashtag format.

Try not to assume that the reader has previous context or has read past posts. Each post should be compelling and make sense on its own.

Instead of:

Please help us congratulate the winners of the $7M Shell Ocean Discovery XPRIZE, GEBCO-NF Alumni. #OceanDiscovered [link]

Try:

In May, we announced the $7M @Shell Ocean Discovery XPRIZE for unmanned, uncharted deep sea exploration to illuminate the most mysterious part of the planet. Meet the winners. #OceanDiscovered [link]

Blog

Titles

• 5-12 words
• Clickbait with integrity. Pluck out a curious point of interest from the piece. Rather than “XPRIZE and UNESCO”, try something like “Partnering with UNESCO’s ‘Village Mamas’ to try something a little different”.
• No full-stop

Authors

For credibility, including their role at XPRIZE, or within their prize team.

Hyperlink the author’s name to their profile (or further info on their project) on the site.

Leading paragraphs

Think of these paragraphs as snapshots of the fuller piece. In a pinch, we should get a good picture of what’s happening by reading it on its own. At the same time, it should make us want to keep reading. Taking this approach saves time, as it makes these paragraphs perfect to recycle into social media copy.

Formatting and scannability

Your readers likely won’t read the full blog. Make sure they get something that resonates without making them dig for it.

• Apply a pull-quote or two to make your key takeaways shine.
• If there’s an action you’d like readers to take (e.g. viewing prize guidelines), don’t bury it in the middle of a paragraph. Make your calls to action bold and easy to find.

Final polish

Reading your piece out loud is a fun, quick way to make sure your blog pieces are punchy and concise.

• If you need to take a breath during a sentence, it’s likely too long. Condense, or break it in two.
• If you stumble while reading, this may point to a lack of clarity and flow, which your reader will experience too.
• If you bore yourself while reading your draft, another person’s attention span doesn’t stand a chance. Add some interest, storytelling or human element to the piece – or simply distil your paragraphs and cut some fat.

Take aim before you fire

What’s the goal of your piece of content? Why will it exist? From Tweets to blogs, have your ideal reader action clear in your mind from the get-go.

Context is king

Understand the who, what, where, why and how. Connect them together for your reader. Otherwise, the writing will feel too ‘internal’, and your content won’t resonate.

The rule of three

First drafts are for roughly fleshing out your ideas. In the second draft, you write it properly. The third draft is for fine-tuning and a closer eye.
Credit: Anne Lamott.

The following are our current brand and marketing collateral, to download and use if needed, or to refer to for visual design.

Please do not alter the design, composition, or typography in these assets. Refer to the Photography section for replacing imagery. If editing the deck template, take care to maintain the layout and formatting of existing pages, should you need to add content, rows, and pages. Refer to the color and typography sections for guidance. Consult the marketing team before using.

Reach out to the marketing team for a Google Slides link.

Reach out to the marketing team for physical assets.

Reach out to the marketing team for physical assets.

Reach out to the marketing team for physical assets.

Reach out to the marketing team for physical assets.

Reach out to the marketing team for physical assets.

Grammatical consistency helps to build trust with our audience, and adhering to certain rules across content types helps keep our copy clear and consistent.

For the most part, we refer to The Associated Press Stylebook. The following rules are more unique to XPRIZE, and can act as an abbreviated internal grammar guide.

We always capitalise XPRIZE – never Xprize, XPrize, X-Prize, ❌PRIZE etc.

XPRIZE is an organisation, and is referred to in the singular. Eg:

XPRIZE is proud to present

XPRIZE contributes to global reforestation through…

If a sentence reads better with a plural, use ‘we’, or the word ‘team’. Eg:

At XPRIZE, we are proud to share…
The XPRIZE team have partnered with [organisation] to bring you…

Bullet points that form part of a sentence should begin with a lowercase letter.

There should be no punctuation after each point until the final one, which should have a full stop.

Use a colon (:) to introduce bullet lists of this type, and don’t put a hyphen after the colon (:-), eg:

We invite the world’s innovators to share solutions, learnings and resources and allow the global community to:

– participate in the latest research and solution development
– scale the impact of promising, vetted COVID-19 solutions.

Bullet points that are sentences in themselves should begin with a capital letter and each have a full stop at the end, eg:

Enable existing efforts by sharing your learnings and resources.

– Participate in the latest research and solution development.
– Scale the impact of promising, vetted COVID-19 solutions.

A single en dash can add a touch of drama – like this. But use sparingly.

A pair of dashes can replace parenthetical commas or brackets to draw the reader’s attention to something surprising or unusual.

We use en dashes (–) rather than em dashes (—) or hyphens (-).

When font allows, we write our headlines in sentence case, not title case.

They should never end with a full stop. Eg:

Join a data-powered alliance to stop COVID-19

Not:

Join a Data-Powered Alliance to Stop COVID-19.