B | Royal opeRa house BRands in thiRd-paRty mateRialsstatic.roh.org.uk/for/pdfs/ROH_GuidelinesSectionBC.pdf · 2012-05-03 · • non-core products/services that are branded with

R O YA L O P E R A H O U S E | b r a n d i n g , d e s i g n and c o p y m a n u a l

1

R O YA L O P E R A H O U S E

x x x

X X X X X

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veriaectus, niam pro vir la ad inem ompraris firmil hosteriorum maio,

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maxim conequam oraesse nducenirioc, faut pl. Habusus ipiontem

ineque ignortemus iam publiuscit, noruntrum mus c. sp. evilis conit

firtum mo consiliqua coret gra rena, p. opimus vit intra? uretilictum

fir is essum iniciisque cridi, que patarim ilicientis.


c o n t e n t s

B | Royal o peR a hous e B R ands inth i Rd - paRt y mateR ia l s

intRoduction 72

WhenthiRd-paRtiescan

useouRBRands 73/74

WhenthiRd-paRtiescannot

useouRBRands 75

WhichmemBeRsofouRBRand

FamilyshouldBeused 76

WhetheRBRandmaRKsorBRandnames

shouldBeused 77

coRRectpResentationof

BRandnamesinplainteXt 78

coRRectuseoftheBRandmaRKs 79

compliance 80

S E c t i O n B

R O YA L O P E R A H O U S E B R A n d S

i n t H i R d - P A R t Y m A t E R i A L S

7 1 R O YA L O P E R A H O U S E | b r a n d i n g , d e s i g n and c o p y m a n u a l

R O YA L O P E R A H O U S E | b r a n d i n g , d e s i g n and c o p y m a n u a l7 2

i n t R O d U c t i O n

these guidelines apply whenever one of the royal opera House brands is used by a third-party in

communications or other materials that adhere to their design templates/guidelines rather than ours.

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W H E n t H i R d - P A R t i E S c A n U S E O U R B R A n d S

there are four situations in which one (or more) of our brands

could be used by a third-party alongside their brand.

1 third-party publicity and other materials relating to a royal opera

House company performance or event, whether live or through a

different channel

this includes:

• third-party publicity and other materials for performances by

the royal opera, the royal ballet, roH2 or the orchestra of the

royal opera House at third-party venues (e.g. tokyo theatre’s

publicity for royal ballet performances in tokyo, ipswich theatre’s

publicity and merchandise for an roH2 exhibition in ipswich)

• third-party publicity and other materials relating to performances

by the royal opera or the royal ballet broadcast through third-

party channels (e.g. a cinema company’s publicity and introductory

notes for live screenings from the royal opera House at that

cinema, bbc publicity for a broadcast of a performance by

the royal opera)

2 our partner’s publicity and other materials for joint ventures

relating to our core activities, where our brand and our partner’s

brand are both relevant (e.g. birkbeck college’s publicity and course

notes for a course on opera run jointly by birkbeck college and

the royal opera, whether held at the royal opera House or at

birkbeck college)

3 third-party publicity and other materials relating to royal opera

House cds, books and other merchandise produced by that third-

party (e.g. Freddy’s publicity and packaging for royal ballet

dancewear, a music company’s publicity for royal opera cds, a

music company’s publicity for a range of cds from a number of

opera companies including the royal opera)

note

the merchandise itself is likely to follow the guidelines in section a

of this manual and either have only royal opera House branding (e.g.

Freddy dancewear) or include the third-party brand in the position

designated for channel brands (e.g. cd covers).

4 products and services that carry one of our brands together with a

third-party brand under a licensing (or other commercial) agreement,

and any third-party publicity and other materials relating to these

this includes:

• non-core products/services that are branded with one of the

royal opera House’s brands, endorsed by a third-party brand,

and are targeted at our audience (e.g. royal opera House-branded

affinity credit card, royal opera House-branded Hildon mineral

water, any publicity relating to these products that follows the third-

party’s guidelines rather than ours)

• products/services relating to our core activities that have third-

party branding, endorsed by a royal opera House brand, and are

targeted at the general public (e.g. dance classes at xyZ gyms

endorsed by the royal ballet, a children’s ballet magazine endorsed

by the royal ballet, the third-party’s publicity for these products/

services)


W H E n t H i R d - P A R t i E S c A n U S E O U R B R A n d S

(con t i n u ed)

in addition to these four situations, we might also allow one of our

brands to be used in third-party publicity and other materials for

performances and events at the royal opera House (or any other royal

opera House venue) that are presented by a third-party renting our

theatre/space under a commercial arrangement.

these performances/events must relate to our core activities:

opera, ballet and dance.

they must be of world-class standard.

e.g. Victor Hochhauser presenting la scala ballet or

bolshoi opera

in such situations, it is likely that the royal opera House brand

will be used, rather than one of the company brands.

note

in some of these situations, the third-party can decide whether or

not to use our brands. if they wish to do so, they must adhere to the

guidelines in this section of the manual. if they choose not to do so, but

need to refer to one of our venues, they can use ‘royal opera House’ as

a location/address only. this must be written in plain text, in a typeface

used elsewhere in the design.

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W H E n t H i R d - P A R t i E S c A n n O t U S E O U R B R A n d S

if a third-party rents one of our theatres/other spaces to present

work that is not related to one of our core activities (i.e. that is not

related to opera, ballet or dance), it cannot use any of our brands

in its publicity or other materials.

if a third-party rents one of our theatres/other spaces to present

work that is related to one of our core activities but is not of

world-class quality, it cannot use any of our brands in its publicity

or other materials.

if a third-party rents one of our theatres/other spaces to host an

event that is not related to one of our core activities (e.g. to host

a company lunch, a conference, an award ceremony), it cannot use

any of our brands in its publicity or other materials designed for

an external audience.

in each of these situations, the third-party can use ‘royal opera

House’ as a venue name/address only. it must be written in plain

text, matching the text used in the rest of the document/material.


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7 6

W H i c H m E m B E R S of O U R B R A n d f A m i LY

S H O U L d B E U S E d

When a third-party is allowed to use one of our brands, either

the royal opera House umbrella brand or one of the four royal

opera House family brands (the royal opera, the royal ballet,

roH2, orchestra of the royal opera House) can be used. under

no circumstances can both the umbrella brand and another

royal opera House family brand be used.

if something involves more than one of the three companies

(the royal opera, the royal ballet, roH2), the brands of all of

the companies involved can be used (e.g. the royal opera and

the royal ballet). the royal opera House umbrella brand cannot

be used as well.

orchestra of the royal opera House can only be used if the

orchestra is performing alone and is not accompanying

the royal ballet, the royal opera or roH2.

the most appropriate brand(s) should be selected by

the royal opera House marketing department.

note

Whichever brands are used, ‘royal opera House’ can also be

included as a location/address, when appropriate. When used in

this way, it must be written in plain text matching that of the rest

of the document/material. it must not be used as if it were a brand.


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W H E t H E R B R A n d m A R k S or

B R A n d n A m E S S H O U L d B E U S E d

a royal opera House brandmark (umbrella or company)

can be used only if all of the following criteria are met:

• no other brandmark is more prominent (i.e. it is the most

prominent or is at least as prominent as any other brandmark/logo)

• it is separated from any other brandmark

• it is not embedded within text, however short the phrase concerned

• if the brandmark for the umbrella brand is used,

the company brandmarks cannot be used as well.

in all other circumstances, the royal opera House brand

name/names should be written in plain text, as described

on the following page.”

7 8 R O YA L O P E R A H O U S E | b r a n d i n g , d e s i g n and c o p y m a n u a l

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c O R R E c t P R E S E n tAt i O n of

B R A n d n A m E S i n P L A i n t E X t

Whenever a royal opera House brand name is used within a design,

it must be written in a typeface used elsewhere in that design.

it can be written either in title case or in capitals

(other than roH2, which must always be in capitals).

correct presentations of the five possible brand names are:

royal opera House / R O YA L O P E R A H O U S E

the royal ballet / t H E R O YA L B A L L E t

the royal opera / t H E R O YA L O P E R A

R O H 2

orchestra of the royal opera House /

ORcHEStRA of the ROYAL OPERA HOUSE


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7 9

c O R R E c t U S E of the B R A n d m A R k S

the following rules for the use of our brandmarks,

set out in section a of this document, must be

adhered to.

page

• royal opera House brandmark 16-24

• royal opera, royal ballet

and roH2 brandmarks 25-32


X X X X X








1

Royal o peR a hous e

c o r e b r a n d e l e m e n t s

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diamnonummynibheuismodtinciduntutlaoreetdoloremagna

aliquameratvolutpat.utwisienimadminimveniam,quis

nostrudexercitationullamcorpersuscipitlobortisnislutaliquip

exeacommodoconsequat.

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praesentluptatumzzrildelenitaugueduisdoloretefeugaitnulla

facilisi.loremipsumdolorsitamet,consectetueradipiscingelit,

seddiamnonummynibheuismodtinciduntut.


c O m P L i A n c E

the royal opera House director of marketing is responsible for

ensuring that these guidelines are applied correctly.

all proposed designs involving one or more of the royal opera

House brands (whether as a brandmark or a brand name)

must be approved by the director of marketing.

c O n tA c t d E tA i L S

a s at a p R i l 2 0 0 9

caroline Bailey

d i R e c to R o f m a R K e t i n g

[email protected]

+44 (0)20 7212 9296

Sophie Lilley

a s s i s ta n t t o t h e d i R e c to R o f m a R K e t i n g

[email protected]

+44 (0)20 7212 9509

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R O YA L O P E R A H O U S E | i d e n t i t y m a n u a lR O YA L O P E R A H O U S E | b r a n d i n g , d e s i g n and c o p y m a n u a l8 08 0


1

R O YA L O P E R A H O U S E

x x x

X X X X X









c o n t e n t s

c | Royal o peR a hous e copy gu i d e l i n e s

S E c t i O n c

R O YA L O P E R A H O U S E c O P Y g U i d E L i n E S

intRoduction 82

copy-WRitingpRinciples 83

typeFacesandFonts 84

ReFeRRingtoouRBRandsandotheR

aspectsoftheRoyalopeRahouse

Withincopy 85/86

opeRaandBallettitles:language 87

opeRaandBallettitles:

caseandFontstyle 88

otheRtitles 89

spellingandWoRduse 90

descRiBingnumBeRsincopy 91

descRiBingdatesandtimesincopy 92

aBBReviations,contRactions,

acRonymsandampeRsands 93

punctuation:apostRophes 94

punctuation:

commas,hyphensanden-Rules 95

punctuation:

quotationsandquotationmaRKs 96

punctuation:lists 97

letteRs 98

emailsignatuRes 99

souRcesofinFoRmation

andReFeRenceguides 100


i n t R O d U c t i O n

the guidelines in this section outline our approach to copy-writing. their aim is to bring consistency

to all of our written materials, in line with our brand values, while allowing freedom for these materials

to be tailored to diverse audiences, channels and formats.

these guidelines apply to everything we present to our audience members and other external stakeholders

in written form, including via email and on-line.

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8 3

c O P Y - W R i t i n g P R i n c i P L E S

our copy-writing must exemplify our brand values,

‘excellence without arrogance’. there are three aspects to this.

1 it must be tailored in content and style to meet the

requirements of its target. this involves:

• reflecting the level of knowledge of the target audience

it should neither assume the target audience knows more

than it does (making our art-forms appear elitist and

inaccessible) nor assume it knows less than it does (making

us appear condescending). this is particularly important

when using foreign-language titles and technical terms.

• reflecting the preferences of the target audience

For example, older members of the audience may prefer

a more formal approach (mr / mrs / miss surname), whereas

younger audience members may prefer a less formal

approach (use of forename).

• adopting an appropriate level of formality

corporate publications, such as the annual report, are

likely to have a formal style, but material aimed at attracting

new, younger audience members can be much more informal.

note

the marketing department can provide up-to-date information

on different groups within the audience to help with this.

2 it must be well-written, facts must be accurate, spelling and grammar

must be correct. this involves:

• using several short sentences rather than one long one and using

short words rather than long words

• using active verbs rather than passive verbs

• not using text-speak, e.g. not using ‘u’ for ‘you’, ‘4’ for ‘for’

• using foreign accents correctly

• using english spellings and grammar, not american

3 it must be inclusive and avoid any suggestion of bias, sexism, racism

and prejudice against disabled people. For example, don’t use ‘he’

where the meaning is ‘he or she’; either use ‘they’ or reword the text.


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8 4

t Y P E f A c E S and f O n t S

the typefaces outlined on pages 34–38 of this manual

should be used for all printed and on-line materials.

brandmarks, logos and wordmarks must not be used within copy.

When referred to within copy, brand names must be written in exactly

the same typeface and format as the rest of the sentence, with initial

letters capitalized appropriately (e.g. the royal ballet, roH2, barclays,

bp, operagenesis). this applies to the brands of our sponsors,

funding-partners and visiting companies as well as to our own brands.

italics should be used for opera and ballet titles (seepage89),

for foreign words that have not become anglicized through

frequent general use and for technical terms:

coup de théâtre

deus ex machina

lirico spinto

opera buffa

pas de deux

note

any punctuation that immediately follows words in italics

should not be in italics unless it is part of the phrase in italics.

Foreign words that have become anglicized should be in roman:

avant garde

corps de ballet

prima donna

capital letters should be used sparingly within copy:

He met the Foreign secretary

in autumn 2006 he was appointed reader in music

the Queen of england

the music department of oxford university

oxford and cambridge universities


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8 5

R E f E R R i n g to O U R B R A n d S and O t H E R A S P E c t S

of the R O YA L O P E R A H O U S E W i t H i n c O P Y

use ‘the’ with a capital ‘t’ for:

the royal opera

the royal ballet

the royal ballet school

the Friends of covent garden

the patrons of covent garden

the royal opera House Foundation

However, when used as adjectives:

the royal ballet tours

the royal opera chorus

(the other titles retain their ‘t’s)

use ‘the’ with a lower case ‘t’ for:

the royal opera House

the orchestra of the royal opera House

the royal opera chorus

the royal opera House production park

the main stage

the linbury studio theatre

the clore studio upstairs

the crush room

do not use ‘the’ for:

royal ballet sinfonia

use ‘www.roh.org.uk’ to refer to our website; do not use

‘royal opera House on-line’ or ‘royal opera House website’.

We have a ‘company’; everyone else has a ‘company’.


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8 6

When repeating our brands and other names within copy, the abbreviations below can be used.

fOR… USE…

royal opera House / the royal opera House roH (not ‘the roH’)

the royal opera chorus the chorus

the orchestra of the royal opera House the orchestra (not orchestra of roH, oofroH or oroH)

the royal opera House production park the production park (not roH production park or roHpp)

the Friends of covent garden the Friends

the patrons of covent garden the patrons

the royal opera House Foundation the Foundation

the linbury studio theatre the linbury

the clore studio upstairs the clore

R E f E R R i n g to O U R B R A n d S and O t H E R A S P E c t S of the R O YA L O P E R A H O U S E W i t H i n c O P Y continued

the royal ballet and the royal opera can be referred to as

royal ballet and royal opera when used as adjectives within text,

if including ‘the’ would make the text clumsy. For example:

the magazine included advertisements for

royal ballet dancewear and royal opera dVds.

note

When using ‘roH’, write ‘royal opera House’ out in full the first

time it is used. Follow this with ‘(roH)’ if the next use of ‘roH’ is

more than a paragraph or so away from ‘royal opera House’ written

in full. use ‘roH’ from then on. (Following the first use of ‘royal

opera House’ with ‘(roH)’ is not necessary if the context ensures

that the meaning of ‘roH’ is clear, e.g. our press releases and copy

within the annual report.)

donotrefer to our organization/venue as ‘the House’

or ‘the opera House’.

‘covent garden’ should only be used to avoid several close

repetitions of ‘royal opera (House)’ in text: e.g. the royal

opera and the orchestra of the royal opera House appeared

in concert at covent garden.


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8 7

Whether operas and ballets with French, italian or german titles

should be titled in their original language or in english depends

upon a number of factors.

• the target audience for the communication

When targeting those who are new/relatively new to opera and

ballet, an english-language title is likely to make the communication

much more accessible; La Cenerentola would be meaningless

to many newcomers, whereas Cinderella would be recognized

immediately. on the other hand, when targeting those who are

more knowledgeable, a foreign-language title is likely to be

understood and would indicate unambiguously what is being

offered; La Cenerentola would be recognized as rossini’s opera,

whereas Cinderella could be one of two operas, a ballet or a

pantomime.

• How widely recognized and widely used the foreign-language title is

some foreign-language titles are widely recognized, even among

those new/relatively new to opera and ballet, e.g. La traviata,

La bohème. other works are commonly referred to by the english

translation of their title, even by the most knowledgeable, e.g.

Der fliegende Holländer.

• How easy the foreign title is to understand and pronounce

Hänsel und gretel is easy to pronounce and is readily understood,

even though it is in german. die entführung aus dem serail is

difficult to pronounce and is unlikely to be understood other than

among those with a high level of opera knowledge.

• How easy the foreign-language title is to translate

some opera and ballet titles are difficult to translate; it might not

be clear from an english translation exactly which work is being

referred to, e.g. La traviata, La Fille mal gardée.

• the context in which the title is being used

a poster advertising an opera or ballet to newcomers on the

london underground has to be extremely accessible as there

is nothing else there to help potential customers overcome any

barriers caused by the language used for the title. the cover of the

red programme can be less accessible, as its context will ensure

it is understood.

For all languages other than French, german and italian, use english

translations in all circumstances (even if French translations are widely

used). For russian and other languages with a different alphabet, use

english translations of names rather than transliterations of the original

language spellings, e.g. Eugene Onegin not Yevgeny Onegin.

O P E R A and B A L L E t t i t L E S : l anguag e


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8 8

use italics for the titles of opera, ballet and pieces of music,

unless the work has a generic title, in which case roman should

be used:

La traviata, The Sleeping Beauty, The Rite of Spring, War Requiem

symphony no.1, string Quartet no.6, requiem

For english titles and english translations of titles,

use initial capitals for the first word, nouns, adjectives and

the main verb (usually where the emphasis is in speech):

The Turn of the Screw

The Greatest Show on Earth

an evening with spanish painters and composers

Wagner and britten: a selection of dramatic interludes

For French titles, use initial capitals for the first word and first noun

(and any adjective that precedes the first noun):

La Fille du régiment

La Jolie Fille

For italian titles, use initial capitals for the first word and proper

nouns only:

La traviata

La fancuilla del West (‘West’ is a proper noun here

rather than a general compass direction)

Le nozze di Figaro

For german titles, use initial capitals for the first word and all nouns:

Der Ring des Nibelungen

O P E R A and B A L L E t t i t L E S : c a s e and Fo n t s t y l e


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8 9

arias and ensembles known under nicknames should

be in roman, with initial capitals and no quotation marks:

anvil chorus

Willow song

specific roles referred to without proper names should

be in roman, with initial capitals (other than for any

definite articles) and no quotation marks:

He sang the toreador

she danced the lilac Fairy

she sang third lady in Die Zauberflöte

in copy, the prefixes of surnames are capitalized

only if neither first name nor initial is given:

He wrote to da ponte

He wrote to lorenzo da ponte

she met de Valois

she had tea with ninette de Valois

O t H E R t i t L E S


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9 0

spelling

• use english spellings not american: theatre, centre

• always use spell-check; ensure its language is set to english (uK) not english (us)

• do not use slang

• do not use ‘text-speak’

commonly occurring words

• use ‘season’ for royal opera House; use ‘season’ for everyone else

• We have a ‘company’; everyone else has a ‘company’

USE dOn’t USE

opera goer, ballet goer opera-goer, operagoer, ballet-goer, balletgoer

prima donna primadonna

repertory repertoire

conservatory conservatoire

S P E L L i n g and W O R d U S E


Write one to ten in words, then use numerals.

use commas from 1,000.

Write out million and billion in lower case; leave a space after the

preceding number except when describing amounts of money.

one, two, …ten

11, 12, 13, …

1,000, 1,001, … 9,999

10,000…

225,000…

2 million

£3million

this also applies to ordinals (first, second… 11th).

However, use numerals:

• for all numbers that include a decimal point or fraction: 1.4, 9½

• for percentages: 2%, 33.3% (don’t leave spaces between the

number and the ½ sign)

• when the number is an exact measurement: 5 tonnes, 10kg,

3 metres, 44mm (don’t leave spaces between numbers and

abbreviations, do leave spaces between numbers and words).

• for page references: see page 6

• when there are two numbers in a range and one is more than ten:

between the ages of 6 and 12

However, use words:

• when the number is at the start of the sentence (note: do not

start sentences with numbers that include a decimal or fraction)

• for fractions less than one: one-third, three-quarters, a twentieth

• for approximate numbers up to 100: about fifty singers, nearly

seventy-five performances, about 160 performers, nearly 600

copies

use roman numerals only for acts, World Wars, kings and queens:

act ii scene 4, World War i, Henry Viii.

remember that it is ‘fewer than 18’, not ‘less than 18’.

S E c t i O n c


9 1

d E S c R i B i n g n U m B E R S in c O P Y


S E c t i O n c


9 2

dates

• Write in the following form:

10 december 1805, 2 september 1966, 31 march 2008

• abbreviate months, where necessary, as:

Jan, Feb, aug, sept, oct, nov, dec(don’t abbreviate

the other months)

• decades do not have apostrophes: 1650s, 1920s

• centuries do not have hyphens when used as nouns:

in the 19th century

• centuries do have hyphens when used as adjectives:

19th-century romanticism

• centuries can be qualified by early, mid- and late:

early 19th century, mid-19th century (note the use

of the hyphen), late 19th century

d E S c R i B i n g d At E S and t i m E S in c O P Y

‘From – to’ years

• When the first number ends in ‘0’ repeat the digit that

precedes it; otherwise repeat only for ‘teens’ numbers

(including 11 and 12):

1900–01, 1910–14, 1920–24, 2000–05, 2030–39

1901–2, 1902–6, 2001–4

1915–16, 2011–12

1924–9, 1936–8, 1947–85

• use ‘from 1965 to 1972’ not ‘from 1965–72’

• use ‘during the period 1965–72’ or ‘during the period from

1999 to 2003’ not ‘in 1965–72’

times

• use the 12-hour clock

• put a full stop between the hours and minutes

• don’t use 00 for times on the hour

• don’t put a space before am or pm or include

full stops in am or pm:

9.30am, 12 noon, 8pm, 12 midnight

5.45–6.45am, 10.30am–12noon, 8–9.30pm


S E c t i O n c


9 3

abbreviations and contractions

• use full stops for abbreviations: etc., e.g., ex., i.e., co., Hon.

• However, do not use full stops in abbreviated units of

measurement: cm, mm, km, kg

• Do not use full stops in abbreviations using initials:

am, pm, USA, DBE, AD, LPO (other than e.g. and i.e.)

• do not use full stops in contractions (i.e. short forms that

start with the first letter of the word and end with the last

letter of the word): mr, mrs, dr, ltd, jr

• However, do use a full stop in ‘no.’ (the contraction of

numero) to avoid confusion with ‘no’

• run groups of initials in people’s names together,

without spaces: Js bach, Jrr tolkein

• don’t leave spaces after abbreviations that end in a full

stop and are followed by a number: no.1, op.56a, ex.5

A B B R E v i At i O n S , c O n t R A c t i O n S , A c R O n Y m S and A m P E R S A n d S

acronyms

• don’t assume your audience knows what a set of initials

represents; write the name/phrase out in full the first time

it is used. Follow this with the abbreviation in brackets

if the subsequent use of the abbreviation is more than a

paragraph or so away from the name/phrase written in full.

use the abbreviated form from then on

• However, this is not necessary for organizations that are

widely known by their initials: BBC, UN

• if an acronym is pronounced as a word, use an initial capital

only; if it is pronounced as individual letters, use all capitals:

unicef, nato, acas, bbc, cd, cd-rom

• However, follow the preference of organizations for their

own acronyms: DfES, BAFTA, RADA, MORI

• the plural of an acronym should be formed by adding

a lower case ‘s’: cds, cd-roms, FaQs

ampersands (&)

• do not use an ampersand as shorthand for ‘and’

unless it is part of a trade name: marks & spencer


S E c t i O n c


9 4

apostrophes

• use apostrophes to indicate omitted letters: it’s time to go,

it’s been done before, they’ll be late, you’re early

• However, don’t use them to indicate omitted letters in

familiar abbreviations: flu, cello, fridge

• use apostrophes to indicate a possessive: the children’s toys,

the baby’s bottles (one baby), the babies’ toys (several babies),

the dog’s bowl (one dog), the dogs’ bowl (two dogs)

• However, don’t use them in possessive determiners (my, your, his,

her, its, our, your, their) or possessive pronouns (mine, yours, his,

hers, its, ours, yours, theirs): the dog was looking for its bowl,

hers is on the left

• use them to indicate time or quantity: in one week’s time, two weeks’

notice, four metres’ worth

• never use apostrophes in plurals (unless they are possessive plurals):

tomatoes, potatoes, companies

P U n c t U At i O n : a pos t Ro ph e s

possessive nouns ending in ‘s’

• if the ‘s’ at the end of a singular noun is silent, do not use

a second ‘s’ after the apostrophe: de Valois’ vision, dukas’

orchestration

• if the ‘s’ at the end of a singular noun is pronounced,

use a second ‘s’ after the apostrophe: davis’s films,

brahms’s symphonies, callas’s reputation

• However, do not use a second ‘s’ for proper nouns from

classical antiquity: Jesus’ cross, Sophocles’ philosophy,

Achilles’ heel

• if there is an ‘s’ at the end of a plural noun, do not use a

second ‘s’ after the apostrophe: singers’ talents, dancers’

timetables, the beatles’ albums, the princesses’ dresses.


S E c t i O n c


9 5

commas

• avoid using too many commas; if you have several in a sentence,

your sentence is too long

• don’t use a comma before ‘and’ in lists, unless it is needed for

clarity: sopranos, tenors and basses

Hyphens

• use hyphens to join words together: demi-monde,

mozart-da ponte operas, britten-pears Foundation

• use hyphens to turn nouns into adjectives: 21st-century chic.

• in adverb-adjective combinations preceding a noun,

hyphenate only if the adverb refers ambiguously to the

noun: fast-moving dancers

• Hyphens are never needed after a word with an ‘-ly’ suffix:

widely used phrases, strongly felt emotions

P U n c t U At i O n : comma s , h y p h en s and e n - R u l e s

en-rules (dashes that are slightly longer than hyphens)

• use en-rules to indicate ‘from … to … ’: 1880–1945,

the brahms–Wagner opposition, 7.30pm–8.57pm,

london–brighton railway, pages 3–6

• use them to insert asides within text: the muddy

dog – it had not been trained properly – sat on the

cream rug

• use them to indicate lists:

– like this

– or this

– or even this

tip

type ‘space hyphen space’ wherever you need an en-rule;

Word will usually turn the hyphen into an en-rule

automatically. on a mac, use ‘alt + hyphen’.


S E c t i O n c


9 6

short quotations (40 words or fewer) should be enclosed in

single quotation marks and run into the text.

Quotations within quotations should be enclosed in double

quotation marks.

For quotations within sentences, punctuation belonging

to the quoted words goes inside the quotation marks and

punctuation relating to the sentence itself goes outside:

• ‘ouch’, he shouted, ‘that hurt!’

• sophia asked him if he was ‘out of his senses’.

• Why didn’t she see that he doted on her ‘to the

highest degree of distraction’?

P U n c t U At i O n : quotat i o n s and q uotat i o n ma R K s

longer quotations (more than 40 words) should start

on a new line, be indented, and not be enclosed in

quotation marks.

Verse (long quotes from plays, opera, etc.) should be

indented with the source aligned to the left underneath it.

single quotation marks can be used to indicate ‘so-called’,

but don’t also use the words ‘so-called’:

• Korngold, the ‘Viennese puccini’, was considered a

child prodigy.

• Korngold, the so-called Viennese puccini, was considered

a child prodigy.


S E c t i O n c


9 7

For a list that has each item laid out on a separate line, ensure that all

of the points are consistent in style and follow grammatically from the

sentence leading to the list. try to keep the individual points short.

use bullet points only when necessary to distinguish between

points in a list.

if the points all finish the sentence leading to the list, use a colon

before them; capitals and full stops are not required.

in 2008/9, our opera season will include:

five new productions

one new work

two concert performances of a rarely performed opera

P U n c t U At i O n : l i s t s

if the points do not complete the preceding sentence,

do not use a colon and start each point with a capital letter.

use full stops at the end of the bullet points only if they are

complete sentences. use normal sentence punctuation in

long bullets.

a standard opera season

eight revivals

two new works

one opera performed in concert

a standard opera season

• We put on 12 different operas.

• We usually offer two performances of a rare

opera, performed in concert. We sometimes start

the season with this; as it requires less rehearsal

time, the season can open earlier.

• We commission two new works. at least one

of these is from a british composer.


S E c t i O n c


9 8

include the postal address of the addressee on the left-hand-side of

all letters. each of the following should appear on a separate line;

commas should not be used at the end of each line.

addressee’s name

addressee’s job title (where applicable)

company (where applicable)

building name (where applicable)

number and street name

town

county (optional if town and postcode are given)

postcode

country (if not uK)

letters should end with:

• ‘yours faithfully’ when the addressee is unknown

(i.e. the letter begins with dear sir or dear madam)

• ‘yours sincerely’ when the addressee is known

(i.e. the letter begins with dear mr smith or dear Henry)

L E t t E R S


S E c t i O n c


9 9

these should be in the following format:

1 Forename Surname (Verdana, black, 10pt, bold)

2 Job title

3 department name

(e.g. development department, royal opera chorus)

4 company/organization name (e.g. the royal ballet, royal opera

House manchester, royal opera House trading)

5 royal opera House

6 covent garden, london Wc2e 9dd

7 telephone: office number / mobile number

8 email: [email protected]

9 Website: www.roh.org.uk

10 youtube: www.youtube.com/royaloperahouse

1 1 Join us on Facebook: www.roh.org.uk/facebook

12 Promotional message.

(e.g. Is there a BP Big Summer Screen near you?)

(Verdana, 10pt, bold)

13 *Please consider the environment before printing this email

(Verdana, grey, 10pt, bold)

E m A i L S i g n At U R E S

note

• unless specified otherwise, the font for each

element is Verdana, black, 10pt, regular

• the promotional message (element 12) should

be in a colour extracted from the associated

marketing collateral. it should not be too bright.

• elements 3, 4 and 12 are optional.

• there should be a blank line between elements

2 and 3 and between elements 8 and 9.

• telephone numbers should be written as:

+44 (0)20 7212 0000 / +44 (0)7989 123456.

• mobile numbers are optional. if not included,

there should not be a ‘/’ after the office number.


S E c t i O n c


1 0 0

the publications department is happy to provide help with

most aspects of copy-writing, including grammar, punctuation

and our house style. please remember that they can be busy

and may need time to respond to requests for help, particularly

if the copy is long or detailed.

english

chambers dictionary

• our principal reference for spelling: use english spellings

not american; don’t use slang

• useful for hyphenated words and when to double-up letters

(e.g. channelled, levelled)

punctuation & grammar

oxford a-Z of grammar and punctuation

rediscover grammar by david crystal

clarity

‘How to write in plain english’ guide, available

at www.plainenglish.co.uk

music

grove dictionary of opera:

• our principal authority for opera, unless specific details

superseded by new grove (see below)

• useful for most character names (but those transliterated

from different alphabets, such as russian, may not correspond

to the name forms we use)

new grove dictionary of music and musicians (2nd edition):

• our principal authority for music

• useful for composer names, titles and dates

ballet

oxford dictionary of dance

• the main general quick reference guide

international encyclopedia of dance

• useful for historical detail and narrative (but be aware that

it has american spellings, punctuation and phraseology)

general

new oxford dictionary for Writers and editors

S O U R c E S o f i n f O R m At i O n and R E f E R E n c E g U i d E S

Documents

B | Royal opeRa house BRands in thiRd-paRty mateRialsstatic.roh.org.uk/for/pdfs/ROH_GuidelinesSectionBC.pdf · 2012-05-03 · • non-core products/services that are branded with