BNB Student: Mara

CONTENTS
This brand standards document
explores the message, visuals, and
expression of Mara Spruit
1. Brand Message
2. Design & Visuals
3. Words & Content
4. Live Your Brand
BRAND GUIDELINES MARASPRUIT.COM

MOODBOARD
In the mood board I
wanted to capture a raw,
edgy and unpolished
environment. I want to
create an open minded
vibe, to see beauty in
unexpected places and
show how rare treasures
can arise.

CORE IDEA
Mara Spruit is a jewelry brand that embraces being
unique, different and even a little bit weird.
VISION
I want to grow an open minded community of people
who are looking to express themselves, who see beauty in
unexpected places and reject the ‘expected’ places to buy
jewelry. Those people view my brand as a revolution to
think and be different.
HOW I AM DIFFERENT
Between all the jewelry brands, I will use materials that are
more raw and unique. Thereby I connect the different use
of materials to a different look on life by creating a
community of likeminded.
WHAT I DELIVER
Unique pieces of jewelry and an online community.
01
BRAND MESSAGE
POSITION

01
MAVERICK ARCHETYPE
My goal is to challenge people to look in a new way at the
same things. And above all to see beauty in hidden,
unpolished or small details so they appreciate the little
things in life even more.
My greatest motivation is that by looking slightly different
to the little things in life, it can change their perspective in
a much bigger way.
When they encounter my brand, my audience FEELS:
strong, unique, inspired and determined to change their
perception and be perfectly happy with what they have.
I am: honest, edgy, feminine, open minded, genuine,
creative, original, experimental, slightly sarcastic.
Channel my inner Jack Sparrow when I communicate
with my audience.
BRAND MESSAGE
PERSONALITY

VALUE YOUR LIFE
Seeing (and feeling) the little things around you, make you
more happy, more passionate about life itself. With this I
create beautiful new things out of old, raw and unpolished
items. Stuff that others don't see, stuff that others throw
away.
BE YOURSELF
What is popular isn't necessarily right. Everybody should
think for themselves. I don't care what other people think
of me, except for the people I love.
HAVE SOME FUN
A little bit of sarcasm or a good laugh is needed in this
harsh world. Don't take everything too seriously.
01
BRAND MESSAGE
POINT OF VIEW

Everybody is a little bit weird and that's a good thing.
Nobody is perfect. Therefore everybody should be
respected for who he or she is.
MANIFESTO

BE OPEN MINDED
As an open minded brand, I’m able to challenge people
to create a different perspective on the little things in life
and therefore also on the big issues in the world. We will
do this in an honest, easy and relaxt way.
01
BRAND MESSAGE
UNFAIR
ADVANTAGE

02
This logo uses it’s own symbol,
which can be used as stand
alone over time. The tagline
underneath distinguish me
from other jewelry brands.
VISUAL IDENTITY
LOGO

#000000
#cccccc #999999 #666666 #333333
#975427 #768575
#e0cdbb #b89376 #cad0c7 #b1baaf
02
These are the primary colors
that I want my brand to be
know for. Black is the basic and
ﬁts the Maverick archetype. The
copper/rusty and grey/green
will be used as accent colors.
VISUAL IDENTITY
PRIMARY
COLORS

#26352a #ffffff #a6a9aa
02
These are the secondary colors
that I want my brand to be
know for. The dark green an
with will be used as font and
background colors. The silver
accent can only be used in print.
VISUAL IDENTITY
SECONDARY
COLORS

02
In my brand I won't use patterns, it
doesn’t ﬁt the Maverick archetype.
Grungy or edgy backgrounds can
be used like the examples on the
right side.
VISUAL IDENTITY
PATTERNS

Headlines: BEBAS NEUE
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
1234567890
!@#$%^&*()
Body: Monserrat
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
1234567890
!@#$%^&*()
Accent: Black Diamond
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
02
Bebas Neue is a bold, strong
font with a modern family.
Monserrat is a little bit more
round so more feminine. It
contrasts nicely with the Bebas
Neue and is easy to read so a
perfect body font. Also it has a
big family so lots of options to
use. Black Diamond is the
accent font so used sparingly.
Headline: #000000
Body: #26352a
Quote: #975427
VISUAL IDENTITY
TYPOGRAPHY

HEADLINE
This is a description paragraph. It explains the purpose of
the page and describes the title to the left.
1. Example
2. Example
3. Example
4. Example
“This is a quote from a very impressive person.”
-IMPORTANT PERSON
HEADLINE LEVEL 2
This is a description paragraph. It explains the purpose of the
page and describes the title to the left. This is a description
paragraph. It explains the purpose of the page and describes the
title to the left.
• Example
• Example
• Example
HEADLINE LEVEL 3
02
This page shows the Bebas
Neue and Monserrat in action.
Both are very clear to read. The
Black Diamond is only used for
call to action and quotes.
Headline: #26352a
Body: #000000
Quote: #975427
VISUAL IDENTITY
FONTS IN
ACTION

Black and white, sexy,
grungy models
From above on natural,
raw materials
Edgy, unexpected, models from
different cultures
Suggestive postures or
gestures
02
Industrial environment, unexpected
places and compositions
Showing special moments/
details in a less obvious way
Every image has a desaturated
feeling/ﬁlter and typography is
aloud to be added.
VISUAL IDENTITY
IMAGES
DO’S

Clean, colorful photos with
bad styling
Innocent models who look
into the camera
Bright backgrounds and
bad composition
Staged, to high fashion with
an attitude
Black and white photos
mixed with color ﬁlters
02
Too much make-up,
unnatural looking models
Every image that is staged, too
saturated and unnatural is
forbidden. also no use of heavy
make-up on the models.
VISUAL IDENTITY
IMAGES
DONT’S

03
Content and communication from this brand should be
honest, candid and raw. The audience need to recognize
themselves in my way of looking slightly different towards
life and the appreciation of everything around us.
Examples should include personal stories, examples from
real life situations and mostly small descriptions from
where I found the objects used in my jewelry.
You’ll sound:
• Honest not perfect
• Somethings a little provocative, deﬁnitely not
conservative
• Weird not inappropriate
• Down-to-earth not polished
• Slightly sarcastic but never to deliver a nasty blow to
someone
BRAND COMMUNICATION
TONE OF
VOICEMy brand needs to sound
consistent. When I
communicatie with my
audience I will channel my
inner Jack Sparrow.

03
WE WOULD SAY
Hello ‘Mila’ (ﬁrst name)
WE WOULDN’T SAY
Hey, you there!
WE WOULD SAY
Are you a little different? Great! Always stay that way.
WE WOULDN’T SAY
Don’t act so strange, just be normal.
BRAND COMMUNICATION
TONE OF
VOICE

• Unique
• Different
• Raw
• Tough
• Feminine
• Honest
• Genuine
• Be bold
• Original
• Beachcomber
• Unexpected places
• Open your mind
• Nobody is perfect
• Never give up
• Perfect imperfection
• Artifacts & souvenirs
• Rare treasures
• Always be yourself
• Unusual objects
• Unpolished ﬁndings
• Lost and found
• Beautiful garbage
• Rough & real
• Dependable
experiment
• Beauty is in the eye of
the beholder
03
BRAND COMMUNICATION
WORD
BANK
There are words and phrases I
use describing the brand. I will
use them throughout my
communication and content.
• Unusual
• Unexpected
• Unpolished
• Unjewelry

For people who seek the unexpected
or
Where unexpected objects become rare treasures
03
BRAND COMMUNICATION
TAGLINE
OTHER OPTIONS
Where imperfect objects become perfect jewelry
For people who appreciate the unusual and unexpected

SUPER SHORT (SOCIAL, BY LINE)
Mara Spruit is a jewelry brand that embraces being unique, different and even a little bit weird. I believe
that nobody is perfect, inside or outside. And that's a good thing. Imperfection makes you unique and
rare, just like my jewelry.
MEDIUM (PROFILE, BLURB)
Mara Spruit is a jewelry brand that embraces being unique, different and even a little bit weird. I want to
challenge people to look in a new way at the same things and show the beauty of hidden, unpolished
and small details. I believe that nobody is perfect, inside or outside. And that's a good thing.
Imperfection makes you unique and rare, just like my jewelry. So if you are different, please stay that
way. You are perfectly perfect with your imperfection(s)!
For all my jewelry click here
LONG (ABOUT PAGE)
Mara Spruit is a Amsterdam based jewelry brand that embraces being unique, different and even a little
bit weird for people who appreciate the unusual and unexpected. I want to challenge the perception of
hidden, unpolished details and show the beauty of the little things in life. I think that looking at things
differently and appreciating everything and everyone around you just a little bit more, will change your
perspective.
I believe that nobody is perfect, inside or outside. And that's a good thing. I believe in respecting
everyone, just as they are. Because imperfection makes you unique and rare, just like my jewelry. So if
you are different, please stay that way. You are perfectly perfect with your imperfection(s)! And when
you wear these rare treasures I have created for you, you’ll feel like the unique, strong and inspired
woman you are.
After my burn out, six years ago, I started a metal smith course, where I learned all the basics of making
jewelry. I found a way to express my different look on raw and unpolished objects and turned them into
something new and beautiful. And now I hope to grow an open minded community of people who are
looking to express themselves too. People who also (want to) see beauty in unexpected places and
reject the ‘expected’ places to buy jewelry. People who want to look and be different. For those of you
who feel this way, check out ‘The Rare Treasures’ page… because every individual is a rare treasure!
For all my jewelry click here and click here to see all of our ‘The Rare Treasures
03
BRAND COMMUNICATION
BIOS

LOW TO HIGH
Six years ago, during my burn out, I wanted to do something that makes me smile again. Since I have a degree in
Graphic Design and 'Fashion and Branding' from the Amsterdam Fashion Institute, I always loved to create. So I
started a metal smith course, which I kept doing for three years. Then a gave birth to my son and all of my
precious time went to this little, beautiful, almost unearthly creature that we called Ziggy. He changed me and
my perception of what is important in life. Simple things actually, but with an huge impact. Like standing still
once in a while, appreciate what you have and enjoy the little things in life. But also be open minded, everybody
is different and that is a good thing. So the hell with what other people thinks of you, except for the people you
love of course.
WHY STORY
When I was a little girl I often wandered trough woods or along beaches to look for anything special or unusual
that caught my eye. I kept all my souvenirs like cow bones, starfish, deer antler or sea needles in a wicker basket
in my bedroom so my mother asked me every time she entered it to please throw it way because of the smell.
But I didn't, because I loved my treasures.
Today I still collect these treasures. Only I don't store them in a basket, I use them to make something new,
something beautiful. I create rare, unique pieces of jewelry out of unusual objects I find in unexpected places.
Also daily observations of buildings, objects or people, in which detail plays an important role, I think are really
interesting. I like shapes and textures. By enlarging a piece of an object – taking a detail – it sometimes
changes the shape and thereby the significance of the image. This gives me inspiration for new ideas.
HUMAN ELEMENTS
I'm passionate about my family, especially my other half. I love to see our toddler change, learn and grow every
day and my adolescent bonus daughter struggle trough High School and evolving into a beautiful and intelligent
woman. I love fashion magazines, photography and going to museums. But just bicycling though Amsterdam
also fills me with joy and lots of inspiration. Crete (Panormos - a little harbor town in the north) feels like my
second home. And together with my family we always seek for unexpected places, different cultures and new
adventures. The only thing I’m terrible bad about is reading the map – yes it’s a women’s thing I know! – so we get
lost sometimes and actually… that’s not so bad at all.
CLIENT STORY
I don’t have any real client stories yet, except reactions on my jewelry on Facebook.
VALUE STORY
A few years back I went with my sister to Barcelona. It was the first time we really did something like this
together. Everywhere we went I saw beautiful ‘garbage’ on the ground and picked those up. After a few times
she looked at me, started laughing and called me a drifter. She thought I was weird. I told her I don’t see those
items as useless and trash and that it makes me really happy to find beautiful things everywhere I go. Nowadays
when we are together walking somewhere, she helps me and points stuff out on the street for me. She doesn’t
pick them up though…
03
BRAND COMMUNICATION
STORIES

JEWELRY
A web shop for my jewelry and a place to sell them.
STORIES
Images, gif’s and video's about my treasure hunts, my life
and how I design and produce my jewelry.
PROMOTION
Special offers and collaboration with other brands in the
future.
BLOG
Place to show my stories, jewelry and everything that
inspires me during the day. Also the place for my
community.
03
BRAND COMMUNICATION
CONTENT

BRAND COMMUNICATION
CONTENT
Images of my jewelry Interpretive images
with quotes
03
Unusual model images with or
without tagline
Images of me and my stories
about treasure hunting
A few try outs for Instagram
using stock images, my own
fonts and colors, designed in
Photoshop and Canva.

SHORT TERM
JEWELRY
To produce a new line of jewelry.
CONTENT (WORD & IMAGES)
Photoshoot of myself by Helene Wiesenhaan, produce
different images and search on stock bureaus, ﬁnalize
texts for website, Instagram and Pinterest and make a
quote list.
Website
Build an website on SquareSpace (template: montauk)
with the opportunity to buy jewelry. Including a blog,
which I will post on 2 a 3 times a week. Check how to link
my domain name to this website. And how will I be
found easily by customers and Google.
Email
Write and design the basis for a newsletter. Learn about
MailChimp and how to make an email list.
04
LIVE YOUR BRAND
ACTION
STEPS

INSTAGRAM
Open an Instagram account including intro text and
website link and post at least once a day.
PINTEREST
Make a Pinterest account and different boards with
explains my ‘why’ I selected these boards. Pin 5 items
every other day.
PROMOTION/ADVERTISEMENT
Write promoplan and advertisement strategy.
LONG TERM
FACEBOOK
Open an Facebook account with more content (text/
images) and the opportunity to get more in contact with
my audience.
VIDEO’S/GIF'S
Doing a course to learn how to make small video’s and
graphics interchange formats (gifs) to upload on
Instagram and Facebook.
04
LIVE YOUR BRAND
ACTION
STEPS

IDEA ENEMIES
• Perfection
• Not investing enough time, energy and
money in my brand
• Not being myself and follow my instincts
NOT TO DO LIST
• Not being completely honest
• Evoke political discussion on my blog
• Being too much inﬂuenced by trends
I AM NOT
• A jeweler who makes shiny and small items
• The perfect jeweler with a silver smith degree
04
LIVE YOUR BRAND
BRANDEMIES

BNB Student: Mara

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