The rebrand of Universal TV set out to create a vibrant, welcoming and playful identity for Universal’s flagship entertainment brand, while continuing to embrace the positioning of being a home for world-class, character-driven entertainment. A focus was placed upon creating a social-centric approach, which could transcend all platforms and resonate beyond just the linear channel.
EMBRACING THE HERITAGE
The brand concept began with influence from the heritage brand. The movie brand’s presence immediately triggered an emotional response, and its familiarity is a strength that in turn provides a comfortable, knowing tone as a trusted source of entertainment.
Within Universal’s iconic movie slate, the visual motif of the sun radiating from beyond the curvature of the globe provided an illumination full of warmth and comfort. This element became crafted into the very heart of the logo and surrounding design elements to provide the same level of gravitas and wonder across the TV brand.
A VIBRANT PALETTE
The colour palette is inspired from the idea of natural light and how dynamic colours form at different times of the day, from the beautiful warmth of sunrise to the cooling tones of dusk, enhancing the light-based aesthetic of the identity. It is designed to be striking and vibrant, a positive set of colours to convey positivity and celebration, while also being an instantly recognisable visual signature for bold brand attribution.
ILLUMINATING THE BRAND
From the colour palette, the look of generating authentic lighting came next. Shifting between the key Dawn and Dusk backgrounds created a genuine, natural feel, and combined with the long, soft shadows from the logo and key typographical elements, a rich, illuminated feel prevailed.
In addition to the full graphic devices, an animated logo was created with a simple glow injecting the brand highlight colours. This was especially useful for on-screen items such as bugs and simple brand attribution on social content.
INSTALLATION-LIKE IDENTS
As well as graphical design elements, a suite of logo idents was created, behaving like a set of ever-evolving light installations. These tactile, animated pieces convey the rich palette of the identity, while also being the embodiment of the light-based concept engrained in the brand. They are visually enticing spots that lend well to repeat viewing with a sophisticated orchestral audio accompaniment.
A WELCOMING TONE OF VOICE
Universal TV is a space for viewers to feel welcomed and to be entertained by memorable characters through great storytelling. It needed a warm and friendly manner throughout its messaging, light-hearted but enthusiastic, and positive in a genuine and authentic way. The tone of voice helped give the brand this welcoming undertone.
BRANDED SOCIAL CONTENT
Rolling the brand look across all social content was essential to making the brand stand out within every feed. By using the strength of the brand colours through borders and guttering it ensured every post immediately felt like Universal TV content.
HEROING THE CHARACTERS
When promoting the programming of Universal TV, it was essential that characters were always at the heart of the comms, putting talent at the forefront. The logo and layout system was specifically designed to have versatility around any creative execution of keyart while also ensuring the brand mark felt prominent.
COLLABORATORS:
Chief Marketing Officer: Lee Raftery (NBCUniversal International)
SVP Global Creative: Marco Giusti (NBCUniversal International)
Brand Strategy and Concept: Red Bee Creative
Executive Creative Director: Charlie Mawer (Red Bee Creative)
Idents VFX: Future Deluxe
Audio: Zelig Sound