BY Brand New

UIO: Unidentified Identity Object

Guest Editorial by Guilherme Machiavelli

In the southern areas of Brazil, Rede Globo’s — the biggest media conglomerate in the country, previously reviewed here — regional programme is broadcast mainly through RBS TV, a minor television network. In the past week, RBS unrolled its new identity, designed by Globo’s very own Hans Donner. And, well, the path chosen was the same the designer had taken in its many previous works: metallic glows everywhere, gradients and unreadable lettering. The symbol has suffered few changes, consisting mainly in added glows and bevels — perhaps the only decision that came close to logical, since the chrome globe is instantly recognized in the southern states. The lettering, though, was not so lucky. Not only the cryptic glyphs are hard to read, the bottom half disappears in most uses, from website banners to the network vans. The rebranding is, supposedly, aiming to express the modernization of RBS TV (adopting now digital transmission), while maintaining the network’s tradition and quality of information. A very ironic result for that aim, considering that Donner repeats the same techniques and solutions ad infinitum to all his work since the eighties. And, perhaps, this says more about RBS than the company might have wanted.

Guilherme Machiavelli is a designer/journalist/student in Brazil who works mainly with editorial and web design, along with the eventual branding project.

DATE: Nov.03.2008CATEGORY: Entertainment 62 COMMENTS

Woke’s comment is:

Bevel emboss with orange shadows. Very innovative.

On Nov.03.2008 at 07:33 AM

Tomasz Ronda’s comment is:

yuck :)

On Nov.03.2008 at 07:42 AM

Thales Barreto’s comment is:

:)

On Nov.03.2008 at 07:50 AM

stefano picco’s comment is:

Looks like the RoboCop corp style ... bad

On Nov.03.2008 at 07:55 AM

joaquinganyez’s comment is:

long live to aerograph!

On Nov.03.2008 at 07:56 AM

Viakenny’s comment is:

and that's the standard for most TV networks here in Brazil. they must have a shiny 3D logo, round if possible, and stuff like that.
and that standard is mostly seen in Globo affiliates, which nearly always have the network's look-and-feel.

and last year, RBS TV's parent company, Grupo RBS, has launched a new corporate logo (www.gruporbs.com.br), replacing the now-previous RBS TV logo, which remained in use by their TV stations, until a few weeks ago.

On Nov.03.2008 at 08:02 AM

Gus Lanzetta’s comment is:

Makes sense, they're a Globo retransmiter, almost 100% of their programming is the same and all, so I can see why they would go for the "brand synergy".

On Nov.03.2008 at 08:10 AM

edumira’s comment is:

ROBOCOP!

On Nov.03.2008 at 08:21 AM

Márcio Lobo’s comment is:

Hands Donner lost himself at the 80´s.
It is shameful, at least he is not Brazilian.

On Nov.03.2008 at 08:29 AM

Stereo Radiation’s comment is:

Nice. They've gone from the 1970s to the 1980s.

The "before" logo is the graphic equivalent of wood paneling. The "after" is the graphic equivalent of wraparound sunglasses.

On Nov.03.2008 at 08:36 AM

GabrielRO’s comment is:

...back to the 80s... right?

On Nov.03.2008 at 09:25 AM

Andrew Klein’s comment is:

looks like it would pick up smudges and fingerprints a lot more

On Nov.03.2008 at 10:08 AM

Keffer’s comment is:

Oh, preset in 3dsmax ?

Great job, for a journalist who never touch a computer ...

On Nov.03.2008 at 10:11 AM

koyo’s comment is:

Very cool effect. But the Graphic Design is very poor.

On Nov.03.2008 at 10:12 AM

Rodrigo Müller’s comment is:

"...at least he is not Brazilian."
totally agreed! we (Brazilians) are safe for now!

me at his position would be completely ashamed for not using the same perspective on the symbol AND the lettering... all chrome and no perspective makes Hans an ashamed boy!

On Nov.03.2008 at 10:15 AM

darrel’s comment is:

TRON was a really great movie.

On Nov.03.2008 at 10:25 AM

George - LogoDesign.org’s comment is:

Don't know why everybody's hatin' on it, the new one is a huge improvement over the old one IMHO.

On Nov.03.2008 at 10:55 AM

Tom Hackett’s comment is:

... all chrome and no perspective makes Hans an ashamed boy!

Check out Hans' website: http://www.hansdonner.com. I don't think he's ashamed about anything. His clients are obviously happy with his work, he's married to a Brazilian model...hell, I envy the dude! I don't imagine Hans gives a damn about what anyone thinks.

On Nov.03.2008 at 11:10 AM

Oliver’s comment is:

Looks like it should be on a refrigerator, or a washing machine.

On Nov.03.2008 at 11:19 AM

guilherme machiavelli’s comment is:

actually, hans gave a interview a few days ago in which he almost came to tears of happiness, saying that he considered this logo his best work. he isn't even close to being ashamed or giving a damn about anything.

and, rodrigo, i don't think we're exactly safe. i mean, we still have to see the thing stamped everywhere we look, and that hurts a little :)

On Nov.03.2008 at 11:33 AM

miss fin’s comment is:

Don't know why everybody's hatin' on it, the new one is a huge improvement over the old one...

the goal should never be to just make it an improvement over a previous version (though i don't agree that it's better - just a different version of using snazzy effects with no attention to concept or viability). instead, it should be to find a better solution, to execute said solution well, and to contribute to the overall effect.

some of us get paid to add fancy effects and make things "neat." that's not why we went to school, not why we've learned what we have. design is a discipline, the pursuit of creative and insightful solutions to aid in communication. not an excuse to pollute the visual world with fancy effects and poor composition.

On Nov.03.2008 at 11:41 AM

Rodrigo Müller’s comment is:

I say he should be ashamed for using TWO DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES on the same identity... sorry, but that's lame...

On Nov.03.2008 at 12:20 PM

smirker’s comment is:

Check out his profile!

http://www.hansdonner.com/tsstory/index.htm

"Donner's innovation and creativity blended into out-of-this-world animations, set the standards for all modern television productions. The magical touch of his ideas was recognized and this made him extremely popular among multitudinous audiences of Brazil, as well as audiences of the rest of the world. Graphic magazines from all around the world reported on Donner's projects and encouraged European and American TV designers to take Brazil's Globo TV as an example. He became "Hans Donner, who all the TV companies want to hire."

This guy thinks he's the best designer that ever lived!! I wish I had his deluded self belief.

On Nov.03.2008 at 12:40 PM

Chris Rugen’s comment is:

Hm. A collection of improvements hampered by a series of misjudgments. A circle seems like the perfect symbol for this project.

"rbs tv" is practically illegible. And why not make the sections of the circle into 'r' shapes instead of meaningless ones?

I'm not in their market, however. So I'm sure this logo is already receiving exactly the adulation they sought. Surely it has placed them atop the heap, towering above their slightly-less-shiny competitors with their somewhat-less-hyper-realistic logos.

On Nov.03.2008 at 12:40 PM

jean claude vanMammal’s comment is:

AUTHOR: jean claude vanMammal
EMAIL: nothx@kaithx.org
IP: 24.199.211.130
URL:
DATE: 11/03/2008 01:01:11 PM

On Nov.03.2008 at 01:01 PM

jason’s comment is:

where's von when you need 'em?

On Nov.03.2008 at 02:16 PM

Mr Posen’s comment is:

So pimp, I love it!

On Nov.03.2008 at 02:36 PM

Josh’s comment is:

Wouldn't mind it so much if I could read the type. It's, otherwise, an improvement.

On Nov.03.2008 at 04:11 PM

Victoria’s comment is:

Still ugly!

On Nov.03.2008 at 04:24 PM

Mark’s comment is:

eeeeeeeeeeewwww.

It looks like they went from 1990 to 1987, it's just missing the shine effect from that era. They could have done the chrome effect a bit better. Poor symbol, got stuck with wrongheaded cheap outdated looking effects, if they only known that there's a simpler way to do this.

On Nov.03.2008 at 05:15 PM

Glenn Sakamoto’s comment is:

Viva la '70s!

On Nov.03.2008 at 05:18 PM

Sab1978’s comment is:

Ok, what's next?

This?

On Nov.03.2008 at 05:59 PM

Damian Madray’s comment is:

I totally agree that it's hard to read. In fact, that metallic chrome effect makes it hard to look at on white background. It seems like a logo for a steel manufacturer.

On Nov.03.2008 at 06:07 PM

dg3’s comment is:

Not sure about the new design, but man, the original logo is AWFUL!

On Nov.03.2008 at 06:40 PM

Paul Lloyd Johnson’s comment is:

I love this retrospective! Showing how companies in the early 80s updated their old logos is a great idea! I wonder what this companies logo had evolved to the 21st century?

Oh, oops. :S

On Nov.03.2008 at 06:52 PM

Anonymous’s comment is:

Thales, I loved the "SBT" pun, hehehehehehehe

On Nov.03.2008 at 07:38 PM

Paul’s comment is:

modernisation?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

On Nov.03.2008 at 11:33 PM

Pale Face’s comment is:

For a second, I thought they were announcing the sequel to my favorite movie...Flight of the Navigator! :(

On Nov.04.2008 at 12:13 AM

climent’s comment is:

its simply a wrong attribute.more like a car emblem rather than a tv channel.just too mechanical

On Nov.04.2008 at 12:36 AM

Didsclavin’s comment is:

Some would call it style ... I call it mediocrity.

On Nov.04.2008 at 11:43 AM

Paul Riehle’s comment is:

Im sorry but is it 1985?

On Nov.04.2008 at 11:59 AM

Shane’s comment is:

wow, let's keep the 80's alive for AS LONG AS POSSIBLE!

Also how can anyone NOT like chrome, it's shiny, futuristic, and fun (in a really LAME sort of way)!

On Nov.04.2008 at 12:44 PM

steve’s comment is:

the rendered-to-death look is a guilty pleasure of mine. i am never able to replicate myself, as a matter of not only taste but, technique. so i enjoy
trying to figure out the steps and techniques the designer used to achieve that disco ball look.

On Nov.04.2008 at 01:03 PM

Matheus’s comment is:

I have to see this silly shiny object everyday at TV.

Hans Donner is an old fool, obsessed by 3D modeling. He knows nothing about branding whatsoever.

On Nov.04.2008 at 01:47 PM

Jonny’s comment is:

+1 @ Pale Face...Flight of the Navigator FTW!

On Nov.04.2008 at 05:02 PM

atomo’s comment is:

Apparently you CAN polish a turd. You can polish it, polish it, polish it and it'll still look like a turd – just a really fucking shiny one.

On Nov.04.2008 at 07:29 PM

illusio’s comment is:

I'd rather be voting again

On Nov.05.2008 at 02:48 AM

Eric’s comment is:

what the. this is a joke right?

On Nov.05.2008 at 11:06 AM

Randy Hill’s comment is:

Horrible. Just plain, horrible.

On Nov.05.2008 at 01:16 PM

Jazlow’s comment is:

This has to be the most obnoxious logo this side of the '80s.

On Nov.05.2008 at 01:45 PM

Pale Face’s comment is:

Haha, thank's Jonny!

I mean, I hate to bash someone's work, but...wow.

On Nov.06.2008 at 12:13 AM

psorocha’s comment is:

This is soooo eighties... reminds me of the "carolco pictures" logo...

On Nov.06.2008 at 11:33 AM

travis’s comment is:

i checked out his website as well...he seems like the biggest douche bag in the world (photos of himself, photos of the amazing view from his office...photos of him in front of a large audience..)..this is beyond terrible! this is as close to dollar store tech as you can get...gross

On Nov.06.2008 at 01:13 PM

Hans CopyMan’s comment is:

Hans Donner is a paste and copy man...

Look: youtube.com/watch?v=aazG-bhZs3M

PLAGIO MAN

On Nov.10.2008 at 08:46 AM

Hans CopyMan’s comment is:

Hans Donner is a paste and copy man...

Look: ">youtube.com/watch?v=aazG-bhZs3M

PLAGIO MAN

On Nov.10.2008 at 08:46 AM

XK9’s comment is:

Ah, remember the airbrush?

I think there is a place for this kind of garish over-the-top design. My guess is that it's perfectly suited to Brazilian TV. Sure, it offends the reductive, simple aesthetic of classically trained students of graphic design; but that doesn't make it bad. Hans Donner has made a career out of this kind of design-pornography. I think he is to design what Russ Meyers, early John Waters and Troma are to film. We need provocateurs who question our definition of "good taste". Long live Hans Donner.

On Nov.11.2008 at 10:41 AM

Paulo Fernando Muniz’s comment is:

YOU CAN'T TRUST A GUY WHO TRULY BELIEVES IN UFO'S AND TALKS ABOUT IT ON TV.

THIS LOGO IS SO HANS DONNER.

I HOPE HE DIES SOON SO GLOBO CAN PUT SOMEONE ELSE IN HIS PLACE.

On Nov.11.2008 at 07:20 PM

richard’s comment is:

I know this is important stuff but anybody notice we're swirling down a global warming toilet?

On Nov.12.2008 at 06:16 PM

Bianca’s comment is:

I live in Brasil too and the Globo´s logo really is awfull. But i am used to it.

But the logo from another media conglomerate called Rede Massa is worst! Alot! These cheap gradients really kill me.

On Nov.14.2008 at 02:56 PM

Joao Peres’s comment is:

I am a brazilian graphic designer based in Sydney Australia. I left home in 2004 and one of the reasons was that guys like this manage to establish themselves in the brazilian industry. It is a shame and disrespectful to all the amazing graphic designers that Brazil produce. HAANNNSSS IT'S TIME TO RETIRE!!!!

On Jan.15.2009 at 08:31 AM

will’s comment is:

No comments. Europe design in braSil making Sh@$%@$%@!

On Nov.27.2009 at 09:59 PM

njhu’s comment is:

another logo is replaced in 2008 the current designer again created the new logo of the regional afilation of Rede Globo:RBS TV.for new ident& new logo. 10 in calification of logo.

On Jan.16.2010 at 05:57 PM