Light Pole Banners

The University of Virginia is designated as a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO. UNESCO defines World Heritage Sites as “places on Earth that are of outstanding universal value to humanity” and must be protected for the future. To honor and preserve UVA’s historical significance, the University has rules and processes that direct how temporary banners, light pole banners and other displays are used on and around Grounds. (Please see the separate rules for temporary banners.) All banner requests are handled by the UVA Branded Environment Working Group comprised of representatives from University Communications, Facilities Management and the Office of the University Architect.

NOTE: Banners of any kind are not to be hung on facilities, building columns, structures or trees. As of 2023, the University is engaged in a wayfinding and signage project, so no new light pole banner requests will be accepted until the project is complete. University Communications will continue to monitor and maintain existing light pole banner installations and make replacements or repairs as needed.

The University’s light pole banner design system is made up of three types of designs. These designs are used in combination to form a series that reflects the UVA brand appropriately while being tailored to an area, school, location on Grounds, and other factors.

NOTE: These are for illustration purposes only – each light pole banner series design must be approved by the Branded Environment Working Group, which will resume consideration of new requests after the University's wayfinding and signage project is concluded.

As shown in this image, a typical application of the full system includes each of the three design elements described below.

These three elements are:

1. The centered University logo or mark.
2. Lettered banner denoting the school or unit/area in either orange or blue.
3. Area- or theme-specific photography which is selected as part of the collaborative design process.

All other University banners and signage must be reviewed and approved to ensure these materials meet brand standards. If you have a question about light pole banners or other signage, please contact brand@virginia.edu.