Toll Brothers

The following brand guidelines have been thoughtfully curated and compiled to provide you with answers to your questions about how we present the Toll Brothers brand to both external and internal audiences. At their core, these guidelines all reflect confidence, with a minimalist quality and graceful tone. As we grow as a company and further elevate our brand in the luxury space, it’s critical that all materials—print, digital, and otherwise—follow these guidelines to pull the brand experience together.

The Toll Brothers Brand Guidelines is a living document that will grow and change as needed. Everyone on the Brand & Creative team has a hand in making this resource the best it can possibly be. If you find that something is missing, old, or inconsistent, please share your feedback with anyone from your Creative Leads team.

Contact with Questions and Suggestions

Photography

The stunning photography of our luxurious product is our biggest differentiator in the marketplace. The other brand identity components (logo, fonts, and color) need to complement and support our product. All imagery selected (product and lifestyle images, renderings, scenic views, illustration, graphic elements, pattern, etc.) for brand touchpoints should be a reflection of our luxury brand.

The following guidelines apply to any photograph used in the Toll Brothers library of print and web collateral. If you come across a photo that does not meet these guidelines, please contact us to discuss.

PHOTOGRAPHIC REFERENCE GUIDELINES

CHECKLIST FOR MODEL HOME PHOTO SHOOT

For the best possible result, Account Management Team and Operations Partner must either meet in person or hold a conference call to prepare for every model home shoot and provide the best possible instructions for the professional photographer. In conjunction with the general photo shoot, decisions about shots of specific individual options must be made at this time. Only a few options need to be selected for photography from each model home. Photos of any new options that have not been previously shot are most desirable.

PHOTOS OF OPTIONS

• Be taken specifically of the selected options
• Be true to the option and not modified or customized in any way
• Do not show black-market options. Care must be taken not to illustrate black-market options accidentally, for example, by including them in the background of any shot

The photos of any options chosen for this purpose must be specifically labeled with the option number and name in the Key Words and Notes in Media Beacon to ensure easy search functionality going forward.

PLEASE DISCUSS AND PREPARE FOR THIS IN ADVANCE:

Do not to have big, leafy plant fronds framing a photo. Move plants that are close to the edges of photos, as this effects and limits cropping of images.

It is highly recommended to have the photographer take vertical photos in addition to the horizontal format. The Marketing Team needs both horizontal and vertical photos for various design collateral.

EXTERIORS

ENSURE THAT LANDSCAPING IS IN AS PERFECT CONDITION AS POSSIBLE

• Cut grass, plant flowers
• Do not schedule during winter months with little to no vegetation—spring and summer shoots are much better
• Have model as photo ready as possible to avoid extensive retouching that does not look real
• Add fresh plantings and colorful flowers in clusters rather than spread out so the color shows better
• Replace any dead sod; mow lawn within 2 days of shoot
• Ensure that no trucks are parked nearby or port-a-potties are in view
• Remove trap fence—difficult and timely to retouch; much easier to remove prior to photography
• Clean driveway, walkways, and curbs
• Wet down surfaces to hide inconsistencies in concrete, asphalt, and paver patio area
• Have hose available in case photographer wants to wet the driveway
• Window grills should be shown in the appropriate windows
• No construction work should be done in the immediate vicinity
• Make sure all exterior lights are working
• Remove stakes around trees and untie palm tree branches—difficult and timely to retouch; much easier to remove prior to photography
• Remove holiday decorations

INTERIORS

• It is imperative to strike the right balance with regards to color and merchandising—too much color, textures, and accessories will overpower the photo
• All fireplaces shown in view must be turned on, and Jacuzzi tubs must be working. Please ensure the onsite team is aware and on hand to assist
• Have tubs filled and running for more dramatic look
• All window treatments must be installed
• Make sure that all chairs and stools shown at kitchen islands are placed facing the island, not angled in any way
• All pictures must be hung and straight (Use Command Strips or museum wax to hold in place without damaging the walls)
• All windows must be cleaned, inside and out
• Exterior construction—when shooting interior shots with windows showing exterior construction that may be visible, shot may need to be taken at night as to hide elements outside window
• All lights must work—If possible, put sconces and chandeliers on dimmer switches, otherwise, have low-wattage bulbs available
• Have TV’s on—TV’s should be on with Toll Lifestyle TV playing or generic Toll video (No movies and or television shows should be on screen due to legal and copyright restrictions)
• Have the cleaning service in the night before the first day of the shoot
• Buy fresh flowers
• Remove any holiday decorations

OVERALL

No construction photography.

Do not schedule any conflicting parties or work in the models for the day(s) of the shoot.

Because photographers may work past 6:00 pm (even later when a dusk exterior is being taken), make arrangements with the photographer to lock-up the model, or make arrangements for an employee to be on site with the photographer until he/she has finished.

Writing Style Guide

The Marketing Writing Style Guidelines document offers answers to hundreds of your copy-related questions. Everything from punctuation to capitalization and words to avoid is covered in this searchable document.

Video

Most videos that we use are typically produced by an outside vendor When contracting with any outside vendor you must use the videography agreement, which includes information on the use of drones To obtain this document, contact us If a vendor requires their own contract for us to sign, it must be sent to David Smith in our legal department for review and approval, and the language contained within our agreement must be included

OVERVIEW

A clear strategy and well-planned pre-production process are the keys to a smooth, efficient production and post-production process and an overall successful video. Even with an amateur videographer, we expect the highest quality video product. Before you begin, define the goal, audience, and overall strategy and implementation plan (digital signage, social media, advertising, web, etc)

• Write out your script in a conversational and friendly tone, and practice it before filming
• Write for the ear, not for the eye. Most people will not read, but only hear the video narration, so you will want the language to be conversational
• Read your script out loud to identify robotic and unnatural sounding lines
• Select subject(s) who are a representation of a luxury experience. Characteristics include:
  
  • Warm, articulate, with a positive, enthusiastic energy
  • A natural conversationalist; should not sound forced
  • Professional attire (refrain from wearing bold patterns; stick with solid colors)

• All on-screen subjects (Toll Brothers employees and customers) need to sign a release form.
• We need legal release forms signed by any business portrayed in the film.
• TVs should be off or playing Toll Brothers content. Any non-Toll Brothers programming, movies, or sports should not be displayed

PRODUCTION

• All footage should be clean and crisp
• Video pace should allow the viewer the opportunity to fully absorb the content, while also keeping them fully engaged
• Footage motion should be smooth and steady. We need to be mindful of those with a heightened sensitivity to motion
• Panning shots should be continuous and calm with no jerking
• Use a tripod and/or Steadycam
• Set white balance for each shot to ensure consistency in the final edit
• Add a few seconds to the beginning and end of each take to help with editing
• Capture multiple takes
• Capture a mix of wide/medium/close shots
• Do not capture the reflection of the videographer or camera in reflective surfaces
• Turn off music, TVs, and ceiling fans to minimize distraction
• Be cognizant of background noise
• Pre-record for a sound check test. If there is too much noise, find another location, or adjust volume/distance to the camera

• Capture the best rooms, features, and details of the home
• Consider the order and filming path of rooms to cut down on duplicate content
• Quality of footage is more important than quantity
• Always capture the front of the home
• *Do not film construction
• Avoid dirt, dirty snow mounds, construction elements, and any objects that distract from the polished nature of our products
• Don't show hoses, lawn flags, extension cords, or dead grass/bushes/flowers. Rake the yard of debris and leaves
• Clean pathways and driveways, and clear muddy footprints or tire marks.
• Take into consideration the time of day you are shooting and avoid harsh shadows
• If bad weather is anticipated, filming should be postponed
• All pictures must be hung and straight (use Command Strips or museum wax to hold in place without damaging the walls)
• All windows must be cleaned, inside and out
• All lights should be on and window blinds open
• Angles matter and can add visual drama and interest as well as make an incredible space seem underwhelming.
• Shoot at a time of day when the home is bright but not so bright that everything is blown out to white
• Avoid long hallways and secondary bathrooms—they do not photograph well
• The home/community should be ready for presentation and free of unnecessary visual distractions
• Remove any distractions that are visible through windows
• Move cars from sight

• Use an external microphone rather than the device microphone
• If subject is being led by an off-screen interviewer, allow for a pause between the questions and answers for easier editing
• Allow sufficient head room so the subject's head isn’t too close to the top of the frame

Post-Production & Editing

• Keep it simple
• Lighting and color temperature should be matched shot to shot
• Audio should be leveled ensuring that no clip is too low or high for a consistent volume throughout
• Do not pan photographs to simulate videography
• Avoid placing captions, closed captioning, or logos on the footage
• Transitions between clips should be kept to hard cuts only
• No other effects