66˚North makes activewear and inspires activity. Therefore, write in active voice whenever possible since it improves clarity and puts the subject at the center. The only time passive voice is preferred is in policy documents, internal guides, etc. which can have the effect of neutrality and explanation. Marketing and brand communications, however, should endeavor for active voice as much as possible. Examples:
Active: Siggi climbed the mountain.
Passive: The mountain was climbed by Siggi.
Active: 66˚North recycles and reuses its waste.
Passive: Waste is disposed of through a mix of methods by 66˚North.
Signs you are using active voice: strong verbs, direct sentences.
Signs you are using passive voice: use of “is,” “by,” “have/had,” “was.”
Always use Icelandic characters and accent marks. For example, our coats and jackets are Drangajökull, Kría, Snæfell, and Jökla, and our blog is Norður. On the 66˚North website, these names should go unmodified. In outward-facing media (press releases, social media, advertising), names that use ‘Þ’ and may make search or recall overly difficult, and should therefore include a parenthetical translation. For example, “þorsmork parka (Thorsmork).”
66˚North uses American English. It was designed specifically to be more concise and compact than British English, so it connects to 66˚North’s brand value of necessity. Writers should follow spelling, capitalization, punctuation, syntax rules et al from American English. For any points not mentioned specifically in this style guide, writers should refer to Elements of Style by William Strunk, widely available for free online or as a free e-book.
Use emojis (only in social media or email) but use them very sparingly. It’s only 💯 or 🔥 if it’s unexpected and rare.
We’re fans of contraction usage because it’s the way people normally talk, and part of plainspoken language.
Unless a word is a proper noun or the first word of a sentence, it should not be capitalized, even in headlines. For example, the headline of a Norður story, web article, or category might be: “A short journey to Iceland” not “A Short Journey to Iceland.”
Use the American English method of numbering where commas break up every three digits and points denote decimals. So: 1,000 not 1.000
If written only numerically (e.g. 4/6/2020), dates have the potential to create confusion given different international standards between Europe and the United States. Write dates as the spelled-out month, the numerical day, and the numerical year. For example: June 4, 2020.
Iceland uses the metric system and most scientific measurements of product performance (waterproofness, warmth, breathability) use the metric system without translation to the Imperial system. For example, Hornstarndir has 28,000 mm waterproofness. There is no need to translate this to Imperial.
There are only 2 kinds of measurements 66˚North translates into Imperial, and in both cases, the metric measurement should lead, followed by the Imperial measure as a translation in parentheses.
Because we use “everyday” as a brand pillar, it is even more important than usual that writers correctly use “everyday” vs “every day”
something that is normal, routine, part of daily life. It is understood as being non-extraordinary in the telling of a story. “Climbing a mountain on foot to ski down and enjoy a view of the ocean is an everyday thing for me.” What makes the “everyday” extraordinary for 66˚North is that what our storytellers consider “everyday” is quite amazing when viewed by others, on the outside looking in at the 66˚North lifestyle.
something that describes the timing of an activity (done every day) versus describing the nature of the activity. “Every day I eat breakfast.”
Use the degrees minutes seconds (DMS), format for writing coordinates in all communications.
66° 7′ 0″ N, 23° 32′ 0″ W