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75 Years of BBC Television

(November 2011)

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BA
baa
I think we're starting to come towards the end of our obsession with sans-serif forms being "modern", there's a trend been forming over the last few years of more and more usage of serifed and cursive fonts, even on branding which replaces sans-serif based design (Burger King comes to mind). Maybe the day will come when the BBC rebrands with a logo based on something like Georgia.

Hah, let's not assume because slab serifs have returned to being stylish that any old serifed font is fair game now, Georgia most certainly isn't. Consider Lubalin Graph or Rockwell instead.

This is a sideline that we probably shouldn't be going down, maybe back on topic to whatever it is the BBC is getting upto for this anniversary? Not much if their press release is saying anything..

http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/021111-75years.htm
BR
Brekkie
That logo was right for the time - and fitted the "1/2" look well (I don't think they'd look as good with the current BBC logo under them!) Must say too how good a couple of the earlier logos look too - and indeed although it's changed over the years it's actually nice to see that the BBC has basically had the same concept for it's logo for most of the last 75 years.
:-(
A former member
That logo was right for the time - and fitted the "1/2" look well (I don't think they'd look as good with the current BBC logo under them!)

Sure?

http://thetvroom.com/images/pool-0/034/main-53.jpg http://thetvroom.com/images/pool-0/034/main-05.jpg

Wink

Images from The TV Room.
BR
Brekkie
Yes - sure. I'm talking about the whole 1991-97 package, especially the trailers/end-boards (and in print). The "2" just about got away with a "BBC TWO" logo underneath - but the "BBC" alone wouldn't have worked as well as the old slanted logo.
VM
VMPhil
I never liked that 2/Two mismatch. Very inconsistent, even if the idents were worth it. Looked much better with the 1991 logo.
NW
nwtv2003
I don't think the italic logo worked on signage, especially Television Centre, but it looked good when they had the 1 and 2 on the outside of TVC in the 1990's. As a corporate logo it looked good, but it just wouldn't work on screen today, and the current logo is good enough for years to come, I can't see them changing it for another ten years at least.
:-(
A former member
Whilst I certainly agree that the 91-97 packages were great - with far more varied stings, menus, special idents and so on while at the same time maintaining the consistent look - I do wonder if we would be saying the same about the logo if the the boxed Gill Sans had been used originally and was replaced with the slanted look.
PC
Paul Clark
The sting is being used on BBC Four in a slightly different order - post-ident instead of before it.


[As long as Comic Sans never ever ever ever gets used...]

Indeed - I quite hate Comic Sans (to put it lightly); I wouldn't ban it of course! Not that I wouldn't like to...


That logo was right for the time - and fitted the "1/2" look well (I don't think they'd look as good with the current BBC logo under them!)

We are so accustomed to seeing the 1991 logo always on its own under the symbol, and the current logo always accompanied by a 'ONE' / 'TWO'. I get what you're saying; my initial reaction to now seeing the current logo used in the 1991 way would probably be similar: that it 'doesn't look quite right' in some way - but I'd put it down to lack of familiarity more than anything else, and would really struggle to justify how it actually works less well than its predecessor there.
TV
TVnut15
I like the small ident bumper for the anniversary, although it is very blink and you will miss it. They could have done with slowing it down a tad. Equally, the BBC was probably justified in not making big promotions like Perfect Day as that would use a lot of money, and after all those promos were for the BBC's 75th rather than BBC TV's 75th, so they wouldn't receive the same standards.

I was however disappointed with the lack of celebratory programming: a couple of programmes on BBC Four, one of which on regional TV is good but also a repeat.

Mind you they have put some interesting things on the BBC website about it.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/historyofthebbc/tv75/

Also, BBC News made some stories.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-15551270 (Overview of Anniversary)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-15554897 (Behind the scenes at Ally Pally)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-15554368 (Format Battle at opening night)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-15524004 (Pictures of first broadcasts)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-15561011 (5 Live celebrity interview: whats great about TV)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9629000/9629880.stm (Today interview)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-15553386 (Rory Cellen-Jones Blog post)
RD
rdd Founding member
Pete posted:
I remember the morning the new BBC logo first appeared and I hated it, however I've since come to think its one of the most beautiful and timeless logos around, possibly as powerful in logo terms as the Channel 4 4.

I think the fact it is so simple is often seen as a bad thing whereas in fact it just allows it to fit into pretty much anything. Imagine trying to shoehorn the 1991 logo into the Doctor Who titles, or having it work as those light boxes that keep appearing outside buildings and at events. It just wouldn't work in the same way at all.


I hated it too when it first appeared. While part of that was because I thought the logo looked boring compared to the previous logo, a lot of it was to do with the original branding guidelines which mandated that all BBC logos were to consist simply of the BBC logo with the division name in mixed case Gill Sans or the BBC logo with the channel name in all caps Gill Sans. It made all the BBC's many logos look the same and what's appropriate for BBC Learning Zone isn't really appropriate for BBC Radio 1, for instance. Lambie-Narn said that personality could be conveyed through idents, but that didn't really work in print. Thankfully the BBC ditched that part of the rule book after a few years and while some networks still use all-caps Gill Sans (BBC Four, BBC News) there are many that don't (BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Three).
CH
chris
rdd posted:
Pete posted:
I remember the morning the new BBC logo first appeared and I hated it, however I've since come to think its one of the most beautiful and timeless logos around, possibly as powerful in logo terms as the Channel 4 4.

I think the fact it is so simple is often seen as a bad thing whereas in fact it just allows it to fit into pretty much anything. Imagine trying to shoehorn the 1991 logo into the Doctor Who titles, or having it work as those light boxes that keep appearing outside buildings and at events. It just wouldn't work in the same way at all.


I hated it too when it first appeared. While part of that was because I thought the logo looked boring compared to the previous logo, a lot of it was to do with the original branding guidelines which mandated that all BBC logos were to consist simply of the BBC logo with the division name in mixed case Gill Sans or the BBC logo with the channel name in all caps Gill Sans. It made all the BBC's many logos look the same and what's appropriate for BBC Learning Zone isn't really appropriate for BBC Radio 1, for instance. Lambie-Narn said that personality could be conveyed through idents, but that didn't really work in print. Thankfully the BBC ditched that part of the rule book after a few years and while some networks still use all-caps Gill Sans (BBC Four, BBC News) there are many that don't (BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Three).


Personally, I think it all looks a complete mess now.
GR
gregmc
chris posted:
rdd posted:
Pete posted:
I remember the morning the new BBC logo first appeared and I hated it, however I've since come to think its one of the most beautiful and timeless logos around, possibly as powerful in logo terms as the Channel 4 4.

I think the fact it is so simple is often seen as a bad thing whereas in fact it just allows it to fit into pretty much anything. Imagine trying to shoehorn the 1991 logo into the Doctor Who titles, or having it work as those light boxes that keep appearing outside buildings and at events. It just wouldn't work in the same way at all.


I hated it too when it first appeared. While part of that was because I thought the logo looked boring compared to the previous logo, a lot of it was to do with the original branding guidelines which mandated that all BBC logos were to consist simply of the BBC logo with the division name in mixed case Gill Sans or the BBC logo with the channel name in all caps Gill Sans. It made all the BBC's many logos look the same and what's appropriate for BBC Learning Zone isn't really appropriate for BBC Radio 1, for instance. Lambie-Narn said that personality could be conveyed through idents, but that didn't really work in print. Thankfully the BBC ditched that part of the rule book after a few years and while some networks still use all-caps Gill Sans (BBC Four, BBC News) there are many that don't (BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Three).


Personally, I think it all looks a complete mess now.


Every channel and network the BBC have is different, so why should they all be formatted with the same branding exactly?

Fundamentally, they all have the core 'BBC' brand, then that is elaborated with the channel or networks individual brand reflecting its demographic, audience or tone of voice... it works!

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