Opinion BY Armin

CNBC Prime goes After Dudes

Launched this past March, CNBC Prime is a new programming block — like, say, Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim or Cinemax’s Max After Dark — of both documentary and reality original shows to air during primetime (8:00 to 11:00 pm). During the day and early evening, CNBC continues its programming focusing on business news and providing real time market coverage and financial information, that has attracted an affluent, male following primed for the content and look and feel of CNBC Prime. The logo and on-air package that provide a clear contrast between day and night were designed by New York, NY-based Gretel.

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A B-Side BY Armin

CCTV9

About: (Est. 1856) “CCTV-9 is the documentary channel of the television network, CCTV in the People’s Republic of China. This channel has a local Mandarin Chinese edition called CCTV-9, and an international English language edition called CCTV-9 Documentary which is carried by more satellites.” (Source: Wikipedia)

Design by: Trollbäck+Company.

Ed.’s Notes: Lovely, moody motion work below (or after the jump).

Relevant links: Trollbäck+Company case study.

Select quote: “To express the scope of programming, T+Co created logo animations using six broad themes that reflect CCTV9’s range in natural history, human endeavor, illumination, arts, progress, and infrastructure. From the humid serenity of a bamboo forest just after the rain to the brand new Rem Koolhaas designed CCTV headquarters in Beijing, each ID allows the new multi-faceted cube logo to define its material properties in compliment to its environment.”

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Opinion BY Armin

Follow-up: Telemundo

Way back in May of last year we reported on the new logo for Hispanic channel Telemundo, a division of NBCUniversal. Designed by New York, NY-based loyalkaspar the logo received middling reviews, mostly being “fine”. This January, Telemundo finally made an official introduction of the logo and new branding and on-air package — the latter designed by London-based DixonBaxi — with a splashy takeover of Times Square. (See photos of that here, on the sidebar.)

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Opinion BY Armin

Follow-up: ITV

Last November we reported on the redesign of ITV, the biggest commercial television network in the UK. At the time, only the logo for the main channel had been introduced. Now, the full scope of the project — that includes revised logos, idents (over 80 produced), and on-screen graphics and navigation for all four channels — has launched. The project was carried out internally at “a dedicated ‘pop-up’ design studio” led by incoming Creative Director Phil Lind and Head of Operations Claire Finn. In this post we have insights from the team based on a very comprehensive case study they generously provided. My only comments on this one: This is an amazingly intense amount of work and it’s expertly carried out.

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Opinion BY Armin

Univision Needs More, More, Más

Launched in 2002 as TeleFutura by parent network Univision and quickly rising as the second most watched U.S. Spanish-language television network, the recently renamed UniMás has been retooled specifically for Hispanic millennials with programming geared to a “younger, bicultural audience,” as well as complementing Univision’s programming plus being its “cultural connection más the coolest content for young, U.S.-based Latinos.” The new name was conceived internally as a combination of “Uni” from Univision and “Más” for “More” and “Plus” in Spanish while the identity and on-air graphics were designed by Troika.

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Opinion BY Armin

TVA Embraces Gradients

Established in 1971, TVA is a communications company with two main businesses: (1) television, where it operates the most viewed network in Quebec that includes the namesake channel as well as eight other specialty channels, and (2) publishing, where they produce over 75 magazines, making it the largest publisher of French-language magazines in Quebec. Last week TVA introduced a new logo for its parent company, TVA Groupe, its television channel, and it will continue into the rest of its properties in the coming months. The identity was designed by global agency Sid Lee.

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A B-Side BY Armin

The CW

About: “The CW Network was formed as a joint venture between Warner Bros. Entertainment and CBS Corporation. The CW is America’s fifth broadcast network and the only network targeting women 18-34. The network’s primetime schedule includes such popular series as America’s Next Top Model, Gossip Girl, Hart of Dixie, 90210, Supernatural, Arrow, Nikita, Beauty and the Beast, Emily Owens, M.D., and The Vampire Diaries.”

Design by: Troika.

Ed.’s Notes: I realize this doesn’t quite fall under “new” and it’s not exactly a logo redesign. More of an identity redesign through the on-air package. Montage video below (or after the jump).

Relevant links: Troika case study (plenty of images, mostly guideline and attitude stuff).

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Opinion BY Armin

TeenNick: Less Kid, More Adult

Launched in 2002 as The N, TeenNick, as it was renamed in 2009, is part of the Nickelodeon family of channels geared towards, as its name implies, teenagers. With a mix of reruns and original programming, TeenNick reaches more than 71 million households. The new name was part of Nickelodeon’s large rebrand effort in 2009 with on-air graphics by loyalkaspar and now they are presenting an updated on-air look created by London-based Proud Creative.

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Friday Likes BY Armin

Friday Likes 14

No real home runs, hat tricks, or 360 slam dunks this week. Just a few quirky and unexpected projects: New Ukrainian kids television channel, Italian food packaging in Australia, and military vehicle museum in Moscow.

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A B-Side BY Armin

HGTV Canada

Launched in 1997, HGTV (short for Home & Garden Television) is a Canadian (and American) channel that is described by itself as “the hottest address for the most compelling and entertaining stories about the connections people have with the places they call home.” Hottest. Yeah! Basically you just watch it to see if you paid too much for your house or if you are the only tool (as in dumbass not the physical thing in a shed or box) that gets screwed (no pun intended) by their contractors. The Canadian version redesigned its logo in July to match the American version and also introduced a new on-air graphics package designed by Toronto-based Tendril. On-air video below (or after the jump). For an in-depth look at the typography see this Fonts In Use post.

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Friday Likes BY Armin

Friday Likes 12

After doing Friday Likes for 12 weeks now, I am amazed at how much international work I end up choosing. It’s not even on purpose. Today we have kids toys from Russia, on-air type stylings from Italy via Argentina, and spicy delights from Mexico.

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Friday Likes BY Armin

Friday Likes 11

We have a pretty eclectic collection today with brands for history nerds, baby nerds, and nerd nerds.

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Opinion BY Armin

Style Finally Looks Stylish

Launched in 1999, the Style Network is a television channel owned by NBCUniversal targeted to “women 18-49 with a passion for the best in relatable, inspiring and transformational lifestyle programming.” Style counts with 75 million cable and satellite subscribers, tuning in to shows like Jerseylicious, Chicagolicious, and How Do I Look? In June, Style introduced a new logo and on-air identity designed by New York, NY-based Gretel.

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Friday Likes BY Armin

Friday Likes 10

This week, quite serendipitously, all three Likes are about the number 7. Perhaps not all as drool-inducing as past Friday Likes but I couldn’t resist the hepta trifecta.

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Opinion BY Armin

Kids in Brazil Get their Gloob On

Launched last week, Gloob is a children’s entertainment channel created by Brazilian TV powerhouse Globosat, a network of 38 channels. Aimed at a pre-school audience, Gloob — an anagram of “Globo” (which translates to both balloon or globe) and pronounced Gloobee — will show animated series and movies. The logo and on-air application were designed by Globosat’s in-house team, led by Manuel Falcão. Additional 3D animation was created by Rio de Janeiro-based Seagulls Fly.

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Opinion BY Armin

TV Land: Time to Let Go

As a refresher, from this January’s post on TV Land: “Launched in 1996 and originally part of a Nickelodeon programming block called Nick at Nite, TV Land is a cable television channel aimed (according to owner MTV Networks) at the 40- to 50-year-old with a blend of original programming, classic and contemporary television series acquisitions, and movies.” What has changed in the last five months since I last wrote about the on-air look of TV Land is the development of more original programming, bringing their total to five shows, and they also seem to be gunning for a slightly younger audience. Last week, TV Land introduced a new logo and on-air package designed by sixth-year collaborator Trollback + Company and new mnemonic and theme by CORD Worldwide.

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Opinion BY Armin

It’s Mama Logo Time

Launched in 1984, Lifetime Television is a channel generally devoted and targeted to women. Its most current positioning is being “committed to offering the highest quality entertainment and information programming, and advocating a wide range of issues affecting women and their families.” Long an outlet for bad, made for TV movies, Lifetime has gathered a little bit of steam in the last year or so with shows like Project Runway, Army Wives, and Jennifer Love Hewitt’s Cleavage The Client List, which have yielded actual viewership growth. Lifetime last redesigned their logo in 2008, covered here, which replaced a short-lived logo designed in 2006, so it’s evident that they haven’t landed in a place worth staying a long time for. Last week, Lifetime introduced a completely new look led by Tim Nolan, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Lifetime Networks in collaboration with New York, NY-based Leroy + Clarkson.

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In Brief BY Armin

In Brief: Drama. Period.

Like many other cable channels, TNT has become one of the better destinations on TV and for the last few years they have built their brand around the tagline of “We Know Drama” but that’s too many words, really. With the help of Los Angeles, CA-based Ferroconcrete has launched a new network graphics package that is just Drama, punctuated by a simplified TNT logo. Montage above. More visuals and story here.

Opinion BY Armin

Premium Effects to the nth Degree

Launched in 2006, n — yup, just “n” — is a DTH (direct to home) satellite television platform, a lá DirecTV, in Poland, offering nearly 100 channels from around the world, over 20 Polish language channels and a new range of premium channels called nPremium HD. The package includes four channels covering the latest Hollywood movies, sporting events, documentaries, and more, as well as a fifth on-demand channel. Warsaw, Poland-based mamastudio designed the nPremium HD on- and off-air look, building on top of the existing n logo.

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Opinion BY Armin

TFO Rules

Originally launched in 1985 as La Chaîne Française, TFO (Télé-Française d’Ontario), as it was renamed in 1995, is a Canadian French-language educational and cultural public service television channel owned by the Government of Ontario. TFO has a dual focus on children programming as well as documentaries and other cultural programming for adults. The channel is now one component of the larger Groupe Média TFO, which produces web series and content for other partners. This February, TFO introduced a new identity designed by Toronto-based Lowe Roche.

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