Advertising to students and the university community comes with added responsibility. These guidelines have been designed to promote responsible marketing and advertising on campus and to maximize reach across the university while still supporting the core mission of the institution.
OUTDOOR DIGITAL SIGN COMMUNICATION GUIDELINES
BE AUTHENTIC WITH OUR COMMUNITY
Authenticity means being truthful and honest about the product being promoted. It also means being transparent with the University community about what can be expected when interacting with the advertisers’ products and services.
Create a Consistent Experience
Advertisements around campus should accurately reflect what is being offered. Products or services being advertised must be available to students, staff or faculty of the University.
Do Not Make Misleading or Exaggerated Claims
Don’t make false promises about products or services.
Be Honest About Your Relationship With the University
Advertisers’ presence and messages on campus cannot appear as if the message is coming from the University. Making claims such as “The Official ________of the University,” will not be allowed without express written permission.
Respect the Rights of Others
Advertisements must not infringe upon, nor violate the rights of any third party, including copyright, trademark or privacy rights. Using University trademarks in advertisements is expressly prohibited without written consent following the licensing, trademark and branding policies of the University.
BE THOUGHTFUL ABOUT MESSAGES. COMMUNICATIONS SHOULD BE:
Clear and Understandable
Communications should be simple, clean and easily understood. Creative content with the following qualities will not be allowed:
- Fuzzy or grainy images
- Incorrectly oriented images
- Overly busy images that are packed with text overlay or have too many font styles and colors
- Improper grammar, incorrect spelling or excessive capitalization and symbols
Authentic and Strait Forward
Communications should set the right expectations and should not pressure people to take action or click on ads. The following will not be permitted:
- Communications with artificial functionality such as play or download buttons, notification icons, search bars or other elements that mimic those with some type of functionality (calls-to-action that resemble buttons are permitted if they accurately describe where the person will be taken when clicking through).
Professional and Neatly Edited
All communications must adhere to the highest levels of editorial quality. The following will not be permitted:
- Poorly edited images that are distracting or exaggerated
- Poorly cropped images that feel careless or recycled
- Amateur or user-generated content such as selfies and screenshots
Further the University's Mission of Education, Research, and Healthcare
The purpose of advertising on digital signs at the University is to promote the University’s mission of education, research, and healthcare. This includes advertisements that support student education and resources for student living and wellness. Advertisements that are not consistent with the University’s mission fall outside the scope of this forum and will not be permitted.
BE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR CONTENT
Advertisers are responsible for the content promoted through the digital sign network, as well as the safety and trustworthiness of the products and services offered.
SCOPE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH DIGITAL SIGN FORUM
Access to the digital sign network is reserved for university speech, and for commercial advertisements that fall within the scope of this forum. The scope of this forum is defined as messages and advertisements that advance and are consistent with the University’s mission of education, research, and healthcare. This includes advertisements that support student education and resources for student living and wellness. Products that may negatively affect the health of students are inconsistent with the mission of the University and scope of this forum.
The following are examples of advertising not consistent with the University’s mission and that are not appropriate for this forum:
Adult Products and Services
Things of prurient nature including sex-related items, products or services, unless related to student wellness.
Alcoholic Beverages
Advertisements for alcoholic beverages are outside the scope of this forum and are therefore not permitted.
False Documents
Fake IDs, passports or other fraudulent documents.
Illegal Activity
Any goods or services that facilitate or promote illegal activity.
Illicit Drugs and Drug Paraphernalia
Communications cannot promote the sale or use of illegal or recreational drugs. This includes any drug paraphernalia, images or informational material about illegal or recreational substances or products to cheat drug tests.
Imitation or Counterfeit Goods
Knock-off products, brand-name replicas, goods wrongfully advertised as brand-name.
Gambling, Lotteries and Raffles
Any type of lottery (including raffles), gambling game applications, gambling websites, fantasy sports or other on-line prize-based games that require payment for entry.
Tobacco
The University of Utah is a tobacco-free campus. Tobacco products such as cigarettes, e-cigarettes, chewing tobacco or paraphernalia (i.e. pipes, pipe cleaners, or rolling papers) are not permitted.
Deceptive Business Practices
The promotion of products, services or business models considered deceptive.
The Fine Print
The University reserves the right to modify the design and size of communications.
The University reserves the right to reject ads that may conflict with existing contractual obligations of the University.
The University reserves the right to change or modify partnership policies at any time without notification to affected partners. Unless requested, tear-sheets or other proof of performance will not be sent to partners.
The University assumes no financial responsibility for typographical and design errors in publications and communications. If mistakes in advertisements or communications are the fault of the University, make-good space will be offered in proportion to the ad or communication containing the error, provided proper notification of such error is received from the partner within 14 days of the date of the first publishing of the advertising or communication.
READY TO USE THE SIGNS? HAVE QUESTIONS?
INTERESTED IN ADVERTISING ON THE DIGITAL SIGN NETWORK?
FILL OUT THE FORM BELOW & A REPRESENTATIVE WILL BE IN TOUCH WITH YOU SOON!