Turning brand guidelines into a living culture of creativity and connection
BRAND ETHOS & PLAYBOOK
EF Go Ahead Tours set out to build something far more ambitious than a brand book.
We created the brand stewardship playbook—a spirited manifesto and practical toolkit designed to inspire every employee to become a brand steward, not just a brand user.
The Challenge
Most brand books tell you what to do—few make you want to do it. We set out to create a resource that would ignite pride in our mission to open the world through education, empower every team member to live and evolve the brand, and deliver creative consistency without killing creativity.
How We Brought It to Life
We set out to create a playbook that would serve as both a creative manifesto and a cultural catalyst—something that could inspire as much as it could inform. Rather than dictating rules, it invites participation, sparking pride and ownership in how every team member lives and expresses the brand.
Design and messaging with soul
Our visual and verbal systems are built on joyful sophistication—guidelines that reflect who we are and how we show up. Every detail, from tone to color, balances clarity with humanity, ensuring consistency without losing heart.
Tools that empower, not dictate
The playbook was built to empower, not police—offering flexible tools and examples that inspire creativity, collaboration, and ownership across the brand.
The Impact
The brand stewardship playbook quickly became a cornerstone of EF Go Ahead’s culture—adopted across teams and used globally. It transformed brand alignment from a set of design standards into a shared mindset, driving consistency, confidence, and creativity throughout the organization. By reframing brand management as brand stewardship, we positioned the brand as a living, evolving practice—one that everyone contributes to. The result: a brand that doesn’t just look consistent, it feels connected.
APPLIED BRAND
From guidelines to great work
Team
Adam Domurat / Creative Direction & Design
Erin Arbaugh / Creative Direction & Copy
Nate Baker / Creative VP
Jeff Desrosiers, Paula Morall, Jennifer Monderer / Design
Lindsay Lambert / Copy
Dan Kern / Video