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Big rebrand for Channel 4


Samantha

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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".

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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:

 

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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.

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33 years of work on branding on Channel 4 now absolutely means nothing.

 

So long, Channel 4's original logo (1982-2015):

network-c4-header.jpg

 

The logo isn't exactly gone — it remains in off-air use like print and social.

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  • 2 years later...

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)

 

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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"??

burning-man-the-man-nevada-billboard-1548.jpg

 

'cuz that was the first thing that ran through my mind...

 

;):p

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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:

 

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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...

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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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