Samantha 2911 Posted October 1, 2015 Posted October 1, 2015 After 33 years, Britain's Channel 4 has ditched the only logo it ever knew—well, sort of. Instead, its nine blocks have been deconstructed for idents. You kind of need to read this. Sheesh, is it a confusing and honestly incoherent identity package.
ToriElectra 292 Posted October 1, 2015 Posted October 1, 2015 What the hell are they on? That will not help their brand identity, it'll just make people lost and more likely to tune to another network.
TheRolyPoly 2677 Posted October 1, 2015 Posted October 1, 2015 I can't find the "Channel 4" in these idents anymore, making me sad to now find out what channel I would be watching, if I was watching Channel 4 because I wouldn't know from the idents! They better change it soon.
swillh2k2 206 Posted October 1, 2015 Posted October 1, 2015 I get what they're trying to do, but it's too risky. Branding is everything. It seems like they're playing to an existing audience rather than trying to cultivate a new one.
skbl17 188 Posted October 2, 2015 Posted October 2, 2015 WHERE'S THE 4? Chris Bovill, joint head of 4Creative, Channel 4’s in-house agency, described the decision to break apart the 4 as “incredibly liberating.” He said: “Most TV branding these days is like watching wallpaper. It’s pleasant but gets boring very quickly. However, Channel 4 is much more than just a big shiny number and some nice vibes. "Incredibly liberating" my behind. Liberated from viewers, perhaps. And regarding the "branding = watching wallpaper" comment, sure, branding packages get stale eventually, but you don't take your most-recognized symbol, smash it to pieces, and call that "good".
TSSZNews 1053 Posted October 2, 2015 Posted October 2, 2015 They've actually been deconstructing the 4 for a while--in previous IDs it's always managed to piece back together. On the surface and on the video Independent embedded, I can see where it's at a whole new level. You need to dig deeper to something like this and it makes better sense:
TheRolyPoly 2677 Posted October 2, 2015 Posted October 2, 2015 33 years of work on branding on Channel 4 now absolutely means nothing. So long, Channel 4's original logo (1982-2015):
Action Newsroom 1325 Posted October 2, 2015 Posted October 2, 2015 My reaction upon first looking at this: "WHAT AM I LOOKING AT?!?!" And if I were a viewer of the Channel without knowledge of the new look, which also would've been hidden deep within the announcement, that also would've been my reaction. This is a huge surprise. Especially from my years of checking out TV Ark and TV Live (both .org.uk), which shows one of the most unique and awesome logos for a British TV channel. And from watching its last package, which is one of the most mind-blowingly beautiful of any network in any country in any era of TV EVER, this feels like getting run over by a bus. But on the other hand, it's not horrible (or bad or even mediocre). Channel 4 is the more experimental, diverse, mind-challenging, bold and brilliant British channel. From looking at the shows it airs, it is an amazing channel, and these new idents (along with the last) reflect this. These idents are mind-challenging (yeah, first on the basis that you need to know what channel you're watching...and that the logo is broken and spread across stuff like rusted glass in a dark room at Alcatraz at night), but they are also amazing in what channel these are serving. Watching them can confuse us, but they can also tell us what they serve and prove what it does and what it's for: To make you think and be entertained. And they're also beautiful to look at. Like Hannibal, but without the gore and homoerotic subtext. This new look of Channel 4 could be stupid to look at at first, but is brilliant with each following checkout. Great job to everyone involved.
Samantha 2911 Posted October 2, 2015 Author Posted October 2, 2015 33 years of work on branding on Channel 4 now absolutely means nothing. So long, Channel 4's original logo (1982-2015): The logo isn't exactly gone — it remains in off-air use like print and social.
TheRolyPoly 2677 Posted October 2, 2015 Posted October 2, 2015 Btw, Channel 4 was (and still is) home to my favorite game show in the UK... Fifteen to One. I think Channel 4 has been the most successful channel to launch on UK TV since the 80s started.
compubit 676 Posted October 7, 2015 Posted October 7, 2015 And home to my favourite tea time quiz programme: Countdown (love playing along and getting stumped by some of the British words, but Maths are Maths!) Jim
LTSC1980 114 Posted October 7, 2015 Posted October 7, 2015 The logo isn't exactly gone — it remains in off-air use like print and social. Channel 4 News is still using the logo as well.
MikePulse 319 Posted November 25, 2017 Posted November 25, 2017 Sorry, but it’s time to take this thread out of the mothballs. Over the last few months, Channel 4’s been putting their logo back on the air - echoing their 2005-era idents, they’ve been pushing small glimpses of the logo (during break bumpers and promo endcaps) before it breaks apart. But the BIG news - no pun intended for reasons explained soon - a few weeks ago, those avant-garde idents were put out to pasture for a new series of idents. The centerpiece is a giant anthropomorphic figure formed out of the blocks of the logo who interacts with the people of the U.K., even getting in trouble playing soccer. The music features the return of their classic Fourscore theme, as a nod to their 35th anniversary, and the giant actually “speaks” the four-note mnemonic in the form of a foghorn. (A victory for sonic branding)
Jess 1115 Posted November 25, 2017 Posted November 25, 2017 Sorry, but it’s time to take this thread out of the mothballs. Over the last few months, Channel 4’s been putting their logo back on the air - echoing their 2005-era idents, they’ve been pushing small glimpses of the logo (during break bumpers and promo endcaps) before it breaks apart. But the BIG news - no pun intended for reasons explained soon - a few weeks ago, those avant-garde idents were put out to pasture for a new series of idents. The centerpiece is a giant anthropomorphic figure formed out of the blocks of the logo who interacts with the people of the U.K., even getting in trouble playing soccer. The music features the return of their classic Fourscore theme, as a nod to their 35th anniversary, and the giant actually “speaks” the four-note mnemonic in the form of a foghorn. (A victory for sonic branding) God, that's what this rebrand should have been in the first place. While I admire them for taking risks with their branding, there's a reason most branding agencies do not go "let's not show the logo on anything" and "let's make our idents bewildering art shorts". I'd still put the logo in the ident somehow but I really do like the giant thing and I love the fact that they're going back to Fourscore (and brilliantly incorporating it to boot). My favorite Channel 4 idents still have to be the 2004 set, though - there's a REASON they lasted forever.
TheRolyPoly 2677 Posted November 25, 2017 Posted November 25, 2017 Sorry, but it’s time to take this thread out of the mothballs. Over the last few months, Channel 4’s been putting their logo back on the air - echoing their 2005-era idents, they’ve been pushing small glimpses of the logo (during break bumpers and promo endcaps) before it breaks apart. But the BIG news - no pun intended for reasons explained soon - a few weeks ago, those avant-garde idents were put out to pasture for a new series of idents. The centerpiece is a giant anthropomorphic figure formed out of the blocks of the logo who interacts with the people of the U.K., even getting in trouble playing soccer. The music features the return of their classic Fourscore theme, as a nod to their 35th anniversary, and the giant actually “speaks” the four-note mnemonic in the form of a foghorn. (A victory for sonic branding) Much better rebrand than the last one which I never understood.
Action Newsroom 1325 Posted November 25, 2017 Posted November 25, 2017 As someone who liked and enjoyed the last rebrand, this newest one from Channel 4 is very good. The iron 4 giant is a great deconstruction of the Channel's logo (and I even concede, is a nice reminder of the dial). And the return of C4 iconic leitmotif Fourscore as integrated in the BGM and the figure's speaking is superbly top-notch. It's a charming, sweet and fun breath of fresh air of a package.
ToriElectra 292 Posted November 25, 2017 Posted November 25, 2017 I find these idents cute but weird. Then again, C4's always been kinda weird, so....
onthesea 292 Posted November 25, 2017 Posted November 25, 2017 Those Brits really went nuts! The IDs are really interesting.
TSSZNews 1053 Posted November 25, 2017 Posted November 25, 2017 They're so good, and this route allows for both flexibility like the 2004 and a touch of humanity. The soccer ID may be in my top 5 all-time.
Webovision 202 Posted November 26, 2017 Posted November 26, 2017 Sorry, but it’s time to take this thread out of the mothballs. Over the last few months, Channel 4’s been putting their logo back on the air - echoing their 2005-era idents, they’ve been pushing small glimpses of the logo (during break bumpers and promo endcaps) before it breaks apart. But the BIG news - no pun intended for reasons explained soon - a few weeks ago, those avant-garde idents were put out to pasture for a new series of idents. The centerpiece is a giant anthropomorphic figure formed out of the blocks of the logo who interacts with the people of the U.K., even getting in trouble playing soccer. The music features the return of their classic Fourscore theme, as a nod to their 35th anniversary, and the giant actually “speaks” the four-note mnemonic in the form of a foghorn. (A victory for sonic branding) is channel 4 man the horribly disfigured cousin of the Burning Man "Man"?? 'cuz that was the first thing that ran through my mind...
mre29 1592 Posted November 26, 2017 Posted November 26, 2017 My favorite Channel 4 idents still have to be the 2004 set, though - there's a REASON they lasted forever. Those are good, though it's pretty obvious that many of them are set outside of the UK. That era also included one of my favorite TV ident running jokes:
Jess 1115 Posted November 26, 2017 Posted November 26, 2017 Those are good, though it's pretty obvious that many of them are set outside of the UK. That era also included one of my favorite TV ident running jokes: Wow. It gets more and more ludicrous (and therefore more and more hilarious) towards the end. I died laughing at one of them in particular - I don't want to spoil though...
Action Newsroom 1325 Posted November 26, 2017 Posted November 26, 2017 That era also included one of my favorite TV ident running jokes: lol Do they even know what the letter S even is?? let alone how to pronounce it?
Guest Posted November 28, 2017 Posted November 28, 2017 The weird "find the logo" idents are not a novel concept. Look at Adult Swim. I look at the new idents and see a lot of similarities.
Eat News 4745 Posted November 28, 2017 Posted November 28, 2017 The weird "find the logo" idents are not a novel concept. Look at Adult Swim. I look at the new idents and see a lot of similarities. Grandpa use to play "Find the Logo" with us Grandkids... I never won. But then they put Grandpa in a 'special place" at Leisure World.
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