CR Blog
BBC Three – Rebranded
Advertising, Magazine / Newspaper
Posted by Gavin Lucas, 23 January 2008, 16:04 Permalink Comments (21)
BBC Three's new logo, devised by Red Bee Media
To be completely honest, we're rather sad here in CR towers at the thought of the imminent demise of the cone-shaped blobby creatures (devised by Aardman Animation for Lambie Nairn's original BBC Three branding package, delivered almost exactly five years ago) that moved and grooved to the sound of Three Is The Magic Number...
But time marches on - as does technology – and the need to identify the channel as something that will exist beyond TV – on the internet and mobile media – is main reason, apparently, for the rebrand, although we can't really see why the current identity couldn't be extended into other mediums and formats. “This is a rebrand which has multi-platform at its heart, not as an add on," explains Charlie Mawer, Executive Creative Director at Red Bee Media, the agency behind the rebrand. "The challenge we felt for the rebrand of BBC Three, was to make it feel a more populated and alive place – to reflect that it is a world buzzing with new talent and offering genuine viewer interaction beyond the programmes. Youth brands today live or die by their openness to the creativity of their users or viewers”.
Red Bee Media have been working on the rebrand since June last year and have worked with Agency Republic and also Nexus Productions, who produced and animated the six new idents, six stings, and three promo-openers, as well as supplying additional web design.
The logo itself appears far more friendly and rounded in form than the previous chunky capital logotype – similar in style to another media channel logotype...
Heart FM logo, by BB Saunders
The new BBC Three idents will breathe life into the new logo as it takes on a tubular quality. They aren't finished yet but here are stills from three of them:
“Overall I wanted the films to contain an energy and excitement but also to offer something quite delicate, even beautiful," says Carolina Melis, who directed the work at Nexus Productions. "An exotic, unusual world where the surreally comic could mix with the dramatic, somewhere where anything could happen, somewhere with a tangible sense of possibility and potential."
The launch strategy involves creating a teaser campaign for the channel in advance of the rebrand and also a ‘be on TV’ space on the BBC.co.uk/bbcthree website.
If, like us, you feel sad about the BBC three blobs leaving, here's a montage of some of the best idents from the last five years:
...and there's even an ident to say goodbye...
21 Comments
What a stinker! I don't know what has happened to BBC graphics in recent years. Most of the branding / set design they have these days feels really light weight and "day time tv". The "o" idents they rolled out for BBC1 last year were truly woeful and now they assault the eyes with this derivative tripe.
The BBC is a great institution, it saddens me to see them let the quality slide so much.
2008-01-23 16:45:22
Yuk
2008-01-23 17:09:34
That Logo's a Nogo.
Mawer's use of the word 'heart' made me realise it reminds me of the Heart Fm logo. Which says far more than any further words from me possibly could. Multi-platform? Multi 'shatfrom' morelike.
2008-01-23 17:30:54
OUCH!!!
"multi-platform at its heart" in this case appears to be an excuse for producing poor quality work that appeals to the lowest common denominator...
Keep the blobs in my humble opinion.
2008-01-23 17:36:56
That really is poor.
2008-01-23 17:46:15
Oh dear, that really is a bit poor. And the pink puddles are quite similar to E4's new idents. What was wrong with the rather distinctive cyan/blue they had before?
However, really looking forward to seeing the Nexus work as always!
2008-01-23 18:43:23
its not that bad. it says young and vibrant to me and the colour really shouts out to that age group
2008-01-23 22:28:16
Where's the innovation?
2008-01-23 22:47:38
The blobs always did have more depth to them than you actually got from BBC Three. At least there is now an identity that is as superficial as the output of the channel.
2008-01-23 23:45:10
The thought behind it? Two pints of lager and a new Pantone chip.
2008-01-24 10:57:12
Red Bee really are being found out the more time goes on.
No doubt they'll put this negative reaction down to reasons like "people don't like change" or "nobody liked the London 2012 logo at first" in a bid to convince themselves that they haven't just produced yet another bland, uninspiring, safe "solution".
The same people behind the ITV brand - need I say more?
2008-01-24 13:58:11
The idents look really cool, but the logo looks like one of the first ideas a designer produces and then discards. The heart logo has clever logic to it, this doesn't appear to have any. What a waist, this is a cool brand and deserves better.
2008-01-25 11:08:50
I agree whole heartedly with Ryan.
Red Bee are really producing some very second rate stuff for the beeb. Get someone decent in!
2008-01-25 12:41:55
Just awful.
2008-01-25 16:43:22
Three's a crowd.
2008-01-25 18:01:43
I wonder why they get it so wrong everytime.
What is going on in the heads of Red Bee. First we've got irrelavent swimming hippo's in one instance then some ridiculous fairyland to represent a comedy channel.
Red Bee will just respond to the general publics negative consensus with 'people don't like change' however what must be realised is 'people just don't like bad design.' It looks like a childrens channel.
What channel brands will they ruin next? and they've had a year to do this???? dear oh dear. It's almost as clumsy as the London Olympic branding.
2008-01-29 14:47:16
thee.... its awful.
2008-01-30 17:36:32
All a bit Nintendo Wii, nothing wrong with that, just expected a little (lot) more creativity from the beeb.
2008-02-04 11:26:54
Definetly refreshing amidst so much of the same! Finally something really new and catchy - about time for someone to dare. Love it
2008-02-05 21:39:47
havent seen them animating yet, but strikes me as another typical over complicated non-discript cable channel brand. I dont dis-like it and its too easy to say its bad, however its NOT a BRAND, its a look that a viewer, (anyone from truck drivers to teenagers) wont distinguish from other channels or the content itself. I do think designers forget that not all viewers work in TV!
2008-02-17 20:54:57
Give them some more time and they will look better. i think!
i hated the new look itv when that was launched with all the channels having the same style logo, just a different colour. That has grown on me....
we will see
2008-03-04 13:52:47
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