The University of Georgia campuses serve as a backdrop to academic life and community. Historic buildings and modern architecture, lush greenways and gardens bordered by pedestrian and vehicular throughways all contribute to the beautiful vistas that the university is known for. Signage on campus is limited and strictly regulated, but the university recognizes the need to communicate to the campus community about events, celebrations and commemorations. As such, light poles on the university campus have been outfitted to display banners to provide event and heraldic messaging to students, faculty and staff, alumni and guests. Below are specific guidelines for the development and installation of pole banners.

Guidelines & Limitations

Requests for banners on light poles may be considered with the following restrictions:

  1. Banners shall be placed on designated poles in contiguous areas, and in a clustered manner.  Please see the pole banner zone maps and/or Consult the Division of Marketing & Communications for information on pole locations.
  2. Preference for placement on poles near certain buildings will be given to the occupants or scheduled user of those buildings, for events/occasions sponsored by the occupying school, college, department, or unit.
  3. FMD staff may remove banners that are tattered, faded or torn without notice. Requester will be responsible for replacement installation costs.
  4. Banners may not be used for commercial advertising, advertising or promoting any political candidate, parties or issues, or identifying, advertising or promoting any religion.

Exceptions or deviations from these guidelines must be approved by the Vice President for Marketing & Communications.

Characteristics of Banners

  • Size of banners on light poles is 18″ wide by 36″ tall, including a 2″ sewn pole pocket at both the top and bottom of the banner height.
  • Banners shall be double-sided.
  • Banners shall be made of high quality vinyl, flame retardant canvas, or other awning material. Banner material shall be opaque, non-shrinking, water, tear and fade resistant.
  • Banners shall have double sewn seams at all edges and at both sides of the pole pockets. Metal tie-down grommets shall be installed at the intersecting locations of double sewn seams (the two locations where the double sewn seam intersects with the upper and lower pole pocket seams).

Duration of Display

Approved banners may be reserved for a four week time period. The reservation may be extended for up to two additional weeks, if no competing requests have been received. Extended periods will be considered on a case by case basis. The following units with long term banner placements are exempted from time limit considerations:

  • University Theater — 5 units on Baldwin Street
  • Visitors Center — Parking Lot placements
  • Center for Continuing Education and Hotel — Parking Lot placements

The exact dates when banners are put up and taken down will be impacted by the availability of appropriate staff from Facilities Management.

Graphic Content of Pole Banners

The stated purpose of banners displayed at the University of Georgia is to promote school spirit, events sponsored by schools, colleges, departments, or major auxiliary units, heraldry, and/or celebration / commemoration of institutional achievements.

Content may be generic in nature, graphically, symbolically or verbally representing or depicting a university-sponsored event or activity. A balanced and colorful combination of visual and textual elements is key to creating banners that are successful as communication tools. Messages should be kept simple and printed in as large type for at-a-glance legibility. Avoid putting graphics on the pole pockets.

Content may include the name or logo of the sponsoring university unit, department, school or college, but non-university sponsors shall not appear on banners. Logos are downloadable from https://brand.uga.edu/logos/.

If a university logo is used, policies in regard to use of trademarks shall be observed (see https://brand.uga.edu/trademarks-and-licensing/).

Approval Process

Pole Banner Approval Process

  1. Select a vendor

    Select vendor to produce promotional item/merchandise/apparel – Banners should be produced by an approved, licensed vendor.

  2. Secure art proofs for review

    An art proof from the vendor displaying banner design must be submitted for review prior to approval. If the vendor cannot provide an art proof for review, images of the banner along with a description of the design will suffice. Design resources and guidelines — Digital Art Sheet, Visual Style, and Logos.

  3. Complete/submit approval form

    Submit the Request for Banners on Light Poles form at least eight (8) weeks prior to the desired date of installation. Allow at least two weeks for review/approval and six weeks for fabrication/installation. Requests made with fewer than eight weeks’ notice will be considered if time permits for the review process.

  4. Compliance Review

    The Division of Marketing & Communications will review and make determinations based on:

    Context of Usage — Acceptability or “appropriateness” of the content/message of the banner. Banner content should promote the university’s mission and have university-wide appeal.
    Compliance with applicable policy — Acceptability of the proposed graphic design, including presentation of the university name, use of trademarks, etc.
    • Wayfinding
    • Trademarks
    • Temporary Signage
    Availability — Reasonability of the location request. Can the request be physically accommodated, based on the light pole locations, preferred banner zones, and in view of other requests for banners in similar locations at the same time?
    Use of approved vendors

    Any submitted artwork that includes usage of any athletic mark will be reviewed by the UGAA in accordance with their policies governing trademark use. See the Athletic Brand Book for athletic marks.

  5. Approval granted or denied

    Once approved, please submit a work request along with pole banner approval paperwork to Facilities Management Division (FMD). The FMD Support Services via one of the following methods:

    • Make a request online through the FMD Work Request Center. Select Maintenance → Request Work → Pole Banner Signs. When selecting the building information, scroll down the list and select the Pole Banner Zone to be used. If more than one zone is being used, select one and add the other zones in the description of the work request.
    • Call the Work Control Desk at 706-542-7456.
    • Email Work Control at fmdwork@uga.edu.
    • Fax in a Work Request to 706-542-7003.

NOTE — All requests may be subject to review by the Vice President for Marketing & Communications. In extraordinary circumstances, the Division of Marketing & Communications maintains the right to adjust the schedule for banner display if deemed necessary.