EN: People on a sailing boat in the ocean, under a bright sky, surrounded by a key visual of four lines in blue, orange, green and red (photoshopped) DE: Menschen auf einem Segelboot im Ozean, unter strahlendem Himmel, umgeben von einem Key Visual mit vier Linien in Blau, Orange, Grün und Rot (mit Photoshop bearbeitet)
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The Brand BASF
"Winning Ways" visual assets

At BASF, our ambition is to be the preferred chemical company to enable our customers' green transformation.

To bring this ambition to life, the successful implementation of our "Winning Ways" strategy is crucial. 

The "Winning Ways" visual assets, especially the key visual (KV), serve as a visual representation of our corporate strategy and play a vital role in our communication materials. They serve as a powerful tool to multiply our message to stakeholders and ensures a consistent and unified visual understanding of our strategy.

To access the visual assets of the "Winning Ways" strategy (key visual, images, presentation templates, etc.) please visit our DownloadCenter.

If you have any specific needs regarding the visual assets, please send us your request via Brand Portal Mailbox.

KV description

Our KV represents our collective journey toward winning. The lines are purposeful, expressive of pace and direction. It captures the spirit of our high-performance culture, echoing the energy of a velodrome or athletics track, evoking the movement and momentum that drives us forward toward our goal.

The KV features four parallel lines, each formed by four of our six corporate colors in a specific sequence: dark blue, orange, light green, and red. The four distinct colors symbolize the four strategic levers: Focus, Accelerate, Transform, and Win – our ‘Winning Ways’.

KV adaptation

To maintain the integrity and consistency of our KV, editing or adapting it is generally not permitted. 

  • Colors: One crucial aspect to note is the order and positioning of the colors within the KV. The four stripes should always feature our corporate colors in a specific order: dark blue, orange, light green, and red. The dark blue stripe should always be positioned on the top, followed by the other colors in the specified order. 
  • Angle: Additionally, it is essential to maintain a horizontal orientation for the KV. In cases where the KV needs to be combined with a photograph, a slight tilt of the angle may be acceptable to ensure better visual integration. However, the overall impression of the image should remain predominantly horizontal from the viewer's standpoint.

By adhering to these guidelines, we can ensure that the KV of our "Winning Ways" strategy remains consistent, reinforces our message and enhances the recognition of our corporate strategy among our stakeholders.

For more information on KV adaptation, please refer to the FAQ section below.

"Winning Ways" x Winning Culture 

It is important to distinguish these two topics and their communication context and visual representation. While "Winning Ways" refers to the overarching corporate strategy, Winning Culture is a key component of the Win lever under our "Winning Ways" strategy.

The "Winning Ways" strategy key visual should be used in both corporate strategy ("Winning Ways") and culture communications (Winning Culture) contexts, as per the adaptation guidelines.

However, as an exception, the key visual can be utilized in a vertical orientation for cultural communications, only while using a split screen format to illustrate the connection between the BASF world and performance related visuals (sports and non-sports).

Example: KV in corporate strategy communications
Example: KV adaptation for split screen format in culture communications

For more information about the Winning Culture, please visit the Winning Culture Intranet page. In the Download Center area you'll discover a wide range of visual assets available for download (emojis, email footer, stickers, meeting backgrounds, Powerpoint templates, and posters).

Imagery

Our "Winning Ways" imagery has a sense of movement and direction, indicating a way forward, or/and capture moments of performance and achievement. It has energy and dynamism, and feels both impactful and immersive.

We use a mix of sports and non-sports images in order to be represent diverse views and perspectives. Our preferred images also have clear space to hold the graphic device which allows us to focus on the key elements.

Purchased images and licensing

The table below presents the 13 pictures that have been purchased by BASF and can be used internally and externally in communication materials related to the "Winning Ways" strategy.

These pictures are divided into five sub-sets, each focusing on a specific subject matter: one sub-set is dedicated to the overall strategy and the other four to strategic levers in all instances. Each sub-set includes a key image and one or two additional images. All the images have been acquired with global, unlimited, and perpetual rights.

It is important to note that while the key images are exclusively owned by BASF, the additional images are non-exclusive (please refer to the notes section below the table for further explanation on use rights).

These images are ideally intended for use without any modifications. However, minor retouching techniques are permissible as long as the original essence of the image is preserved. It is recommended to seek approval for adjustments from the respective Brand Champion of the unit.

Note:

  • Exclusive, meaning these pictures can be used only by BASF for 5 years after which it will be available for others to purchase.
  • Global, meaning content can be used in any geographic territory. 
  • Unlimited, meaning content can be used an unlimited number of times. 
  • Perpetual, meaning there is no expiry or end date on your rights to use the content. 
  • Any and all media, meaning content can be used in print, in digital or in any other medium or format. 
  • Non-Exclusive, meaning that BASF does not have exclusive rights to use the content. Image library can license the same content to other customers. 

Visual style update

The introduction of our new corporate strategy and its accompanying key visual has brought about an exciting update to our visual style. We have reimagined how we combine various visual elements in our communication materials, resulting in a fresh, modern and dynamic approach. Check out the details on the in theVisual Style page.

EN: A hand is holding a lens in front of a mountain, focusing on the summit DE: Eine Hand hält eine Linse vor einen Berg, diese fokussiert sich auf den Gipfel
EN: Two hands transforming clay into a vase DE: Zwei Hände formen Lehm zu einer Vase
EN: Two female soccer players celebrate their win DE: Zwei Fußballspielerinnen feiern ihren Sieg

FAQs

In this section, we address common queries regarding the implementation and guidelines associated with our new key visual.
 
Q: Can we use the "Winning Ways" key visual in any communication material?
A: No, this visual is specifically designed to be used when discussing or presenting the corporate strategy. It serves as a visual representation of our "Winning Ways" strategy and should be used in internal or external communications related to this topic. It is not intended for general use across all communication materials. This visual replaces the former corporate strategy visualization (colorful lenses) and should be used as the primary representation of our new corporate strategy.

 

Q: Can we incorporate the "Winning Ways" key visual into external communication (e.g. with customers) or into the visuals of our various internal initiatives (e.g. Employee Resource Groups (ERG) communication) if there is a connection to the strategy?

A: Externally or internally, it is possible to use the key visual while communicating about initiatives, as long as the relationship to the new strategy and one or more of the four strategic levers is evident. Usage of the key visual also depends on the touchpoint/media being used. For e.g. in trade shows/events, the key visual may be used if the overall theme or what is displayed/communicated aligns with the strategic pillars. Prior to developing visuals for your internal or external initiative, it is advisable to consult your brand champion/consultant to ensure that the usage of the key visual is appropriate.

 

Q: Are we allowed to use the "Winning Ways" key visual in office communication, such as business cards and e-mail signatures?

A: Office communication materials are used in multiple occasions, even when the strategy may not be explicitly relevant. Therefore, it is not recommended to use the Winning Ways key visual for business cards, letter heads, etc, which tend to have a longer ‘shelf-life’ once distributed to various stakeholders. Please follow the usual branding guidelines for office communication for these instances. For email signatures, please feel free to adapt the KV as you deem fit for your content and target audience, as this is a digital adaptation and can be changed as needed.

     
Q: Where can we find the visuals assets for download?
A: In our DownloadCenter you will find a page dedicated o the "Winning Ways" strategy visual assets. As to the Winning Culture assets, you can visit the Download Center area in the Winning Culture intranet page.

     
Q: Will files in Adobe Illustrator or any other editable format of templates be available for download?
A: At this time, we have chosen to provide only non-editable files for download. 

    
Q: Can we use the monochrome KV (one corporate color in 4 different shades)?
A: No, this KV was created specifically to represent the four strategic levers. Even when addressing only one of the levers, the four colour KV should be used. The monochrome KV is restricted for use by the Board/Corporate.
     
Q: Is it possible to adapt the key visual by using only one line for the track?
A: No, the key visual must always be designed with 4 lines.

    
Q: Does this mean that we only have four corporate colors from now on?
A: No, the other two corporate colors remain an integral part of our corporate brand. However, for the purpose of representing the key visual that embodies our "Winning Ways" strategy, we have specifically selected these four corporate colors.

    
Q: Will the new corporate strategy impact the BASF brand value proposition and its policies?
 A: We are currently evaluating the implications of our new corporate strategy on our corporate brand. The project is planned to be finished at the beginning of 2025. Updates will be shared as soon as possible. 

 

Q: Will the corporate purpose “We create chemistry for a sustainable future” or the claim “We create chemistry” change?
A: The corporate purpose and the BASF logo with its “We create chemistry” claim remain unchanged. 

If you have any further questions or require additional information, please feel free to reach out to the brand consultancy team or use our Viva Engage community.