The Newsroom

BBC News opening titles - time for a change?

(August 2013)

This site closed in March 2021 and is now a read-only archive
VM
VMPhil
Cando posted:
Media Boy posted:
Sam Walker posted:
This may have been mentioned in other threads but, with the move to New Broadcasting House, is it time for a new opening theme for BBC News? The current opening music has been used/rehashed constantly since 1999 and in my opinion is now sounding a little tired. In that same time ITN has had no less than five title changes. The move to NBH in my opinion constitutes a new start, what do you guys think?


Why would we want to totally change one of the strongest and most iconic pieces of music and brand in the history of BBC News which is recognised around the globe.
It's globally recognised and trusted and helps reinforce the solid work that our journalists do day in and day out.


This. As I said previously TV forumers would advise Coca Cola to drop the red and embrace teal. They would tell the International Olympic committee that the 'rings' looked tired Shocked .

Except we wouldn't. And Coca-Cola HAS had constant rebrands, the most recent being in 2007.
NE
Neil__
I always look forward to seeing someone say 'change it because it looks tired', when they generally mean is 'change it, because I'm bored of it'.

The BBC are not going to put money (yes, any refresh or rebrand costs money) into changing the BBC News titles and music when they have to bee seen to be both cutting costs and upholding (or even improving) the quality of the content of their programmes.
OF
oflahertya
Neil DG posted:
I always look forward to seeing someone say 'change it because it looks tired', when they generally mean is 'change it, because I'm bored of it'.


No, we usually say change it because it does look tired. Look at Studio N6, that was there for 5 Years and in the end the Barcos were looking burnt out and 'Tired'.
DO
dosxuk
coolalfieo posted:
Neil DG posted:
I always look forward to seeing someone say 'change it because it looks tired', when they generally mean is 'change it, because I'm bored of it'.


No, we usually say change it because it does look tired. Look at Studio N6, that was there for 5 Years and in the end the Barcos were looking burnt out and 'Tired'.


Physical objects can become tired through age / use. That is a different matter to what was raised in the OP -
Sam Walker posted:
The current opening music has been used/rehashed constantly since 1999 and in my opinion is now sounding a little tired.

Digital audio and video can not become tired. They sound / look identical to the first time that file was played.

The answer to whether the brand is in need of replacement can be answered by one simple question - does the BBC News titles make you think of a world re-known, modern, respected broadcaster? If yes, then it's still fulfilling it's purpose and doesn't need replacing and a replacement would have a hard time being justified to the bean counters and senior management.

I can think of several areas of BBC presentation which are in far more need to updating / replacement than the BBC News brand.
CH
chris
dosxuk posted:

I can think of several areas of BBC presentation which are in far more need to updating / replacement than the BBC News brand.


*cough* BBC2 *cough*
CR
Critique
There is nothing wrong with the BBC News titles or music. It's a good, globally recognised brand, and it looks fine, As many have said, there are other BBC departments in much more need of a rebrand, and BBC News is not one of them.
IT
itsrobert Founding member
Cando posted:

Delusional, the constant rebrands, revamps and updates are all the hallmarks of a failing brand. I don't see Coca Cola change colours 5-6 times in a decade. PUT your ITV fanboyism aside and deal with the facts and figures.


You couldn't be further from the truth about me. I have no 'fanboyism' about any broadcaster. I see good things and bad in all the broadcasters and I don't prefer one above any other. I watch a great deal of BBC News, but like ITV's branding, and Channel 4 News's theme music and reporting style. I think the BBC does journalism exceptionally well, but I'll be honest, I don't much care for the branding anymore.

And could you please address my point? How do you reconcile your claim that ITV News has had 'constant rebrands, revamps and updates' with the fact that the Big Ben, Bongs and Awakening elements have remained constant since 1967? And can you not see that BBC News has had just as many 'rebrands, revamps and updates' in the same time: 2002, 2003/4, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2013......

If I'm delusional, then I'm certainly not the only one.
NI
Nicky
Cando posted:

Delusional, the constant rebrands, revamps and updates are all the hallmarks of a failing brand. I don't see Coca Cola change colours 5-6 times in a decade. PUT your ITV fanboyism aside and deal with the facts and figures.


Rolling Eyes

Are you aware of how absolutely ridiculous you sound? You talk about facts and figures but can't even handle the most basic of details. You are aware that the elements that define ITV News have been fixed for almost 50 years? If you went up to someone in the street and asked them about ITV News, they'd immediately think of The Awakening theme music and the Big Ben imagery. Those two elements are still in use in 2013, whether you like it or not.
GE
Generic
coolalfieo posted:
Neil DG posted:
I always look forward to seeing someone say 'change it because it looks tired', when they generally mean is 'change it, because I'm bored of it'.


No, we usually say change it because it does look tired. Look at Studio N6, that was there for 5 Years and in the end the Barcos were looking burnt out and 'Tired'.


The Barcos were all changed during this time in both N6 and TC7 with little or no improvement. So that was a sort of refresh within that 5 year window.

C
NE
Neil__
dosxuk posted:
coolalfieo posted:
Neil DG posted:
I always look forward to seeing someone say 'change it because it looks tired', when they generally mean is 'change it, because I'm bored of it'.


No, we usually say change it because it does look tired. Look at Studio N6, that was there for 5 Years and in the end the Barcos were looking burnt out and 'Tired'.


Physical objects can become tired through age / use. That is a different matter to what was raised in the OP -
Sam Walker posted:
The current opening music has been used/rehashed constantly since 1999 and in my opinion is now sounding a little tired.

Digital audio and video can not become tired. They sound / look identical to the first time that file was played.


Couldn't have put either part of your response better.
WO
Worzel
It's an interesting discussion - which TV critics will debate for decades.

Not quite the same, but I recently conducted a survey for the radio station I work for. I was asked to conduct a survey to find out if our station's sung jingles sounded 'tired' even though i'd only put the sung jingles live - 8 months ago.

When I surveyed general listeners, they didn't really care about how the station's logo looked or how the jingles sounded. They were more interested in the content of the station.

The interesting thing is, it was only presenters who said the imaging sounded tired - because they hear them in greater consistency - than your average Joe Bloggs.

I think the current BBC News look is fine. It was just nice they embraced some visual presentation change with regards to studio pres. at NBH, which was badly needed.
MO
Moz
I think a lot of it depends on what you replace it with. If someone comes up with an idea for a rebrand which is just mindblowing, then I'd say go with it. Don't rebrand because things are 'getting tired' though. A good brand shouldn't get tired.

Coca-Cola hasn't rebranded, their main logo is unchanged. It's just been refreshed and tidied up occasionally.

The Olympics brand is a different case as it's seen just once every 2 years and then packed back in it's box.

Newer posts