BBC One re-brand

This from Broadcast ...

BBC1 is finally set to be rebranded with a brash new red logo as part of its move away from its current 'aloof' hot-air ballooon look.
The channel, which is being positioned as a main stream mass-market channel under Lorraine Heggessey, will air the new logo from Easter. Design consultancy Lambie Nairn are currently finalising proposals which will see the hot air balloon idents - which Heggessey has described as being out of touch with viewers - ditched in favour of a more personal look.

There is a bit more about it all being part of overhaul of all the channels. But that's the first time I've seen in print the EASTER date (which we had all thought it would be) and that it will be the RED box (as seen on the new season launch preview)

So get those machines recording over Easter!!!

well,it seems i was right

here is a little more information,bare in mind that all i have heard are rumors.

apparently,there is to be no clock ident for news programmes,instead,there is to be a special 'news' ident,which will also be used before current affairs programming as well.

these are only rumors,the clock may indeed stay,and i for one would like it to stay.

thank you for the info

at last we know when, why and obviously who...
now we need to find out, how and what!

What are the idents?
How will they work on air?

Will the box be on the right like the others, or will it be on the left like in the lineup trailer!

Thanks for the info, Nicky! So it's officially Easter, then. I'm sure we'll hear something even more specific in adavance.



I don't want to rule out that it'd look good before I've seen it, but that 'personal' thing.. not a good sign... these are going to be 'people' idents, aren't they?

Either they'll pull it off with some good camera work and clever ideas, or we'll be getting Carlton, 1993, all over again.

(Edited by Blake Connolly at 1:00 pm on Mar. 15, 2002)

I wouldn't be surprised if the clock goes - means they don't have to hit 1800 and 2200 dead on time without anyone noticing.

'As the schedule becomes stronger and the channel becomes bolder, so the confidence of viewers in us becomes stronger too,'
'We can afford to take more risks. The phase of development that we are in at the moment is about pushing the boundaries further than we have done before. BBC One is about being relevant, it's about resonating with the experiences of people's lives and with the issues that affect them .'
Lorraine Heggessey

So i think this could mean we will be seeing Lifestyle idents 24:7

BBC News Brand Testimonial
We have rebranded the BBC's entire news output to reassert its pre-eminent position in Britain's news landscape and support the brand positioning of ‘truth well told'. The colour palette of ivory and red was developed to be completely proprietary to the BBC (in a genre dominated by the colour blue) and to make the corporation's news presentation warmer and more approachable. The motif of the transmitting signals is infinitely flexible to work across all the BBC's brands in the genre and can be adapted with relevant place names for local, regional, national and global news. The core components of BBC NEWS now reflect consistently the agreed identity.
Lambie Nairn Website


BBC One Brand Testimonial
What's big, round, full of hot air and has made more appearances on BBC1 than Ross Kemp, Carol Smillie and Charlie Dimmock put together? No it's not Jim Royle from The Royle Family, it's the BBC1 balloon which made its maiden voyage on the channel in October 1997, and continues to precede programmes.

Channel idents, the signatures by which we know which station we're watching, are as established as television itself. BBC TV chose, back in 1963, to emphasise its position as one of the world's prestigious broadcasting organisations with a globe. At first in black-and-white and then, from November 1969, in colour, the spinning globe has introduced all of BBC1's programmes ever since.

But in 1996 that image was deemed to be in need of an overhaul, and design Martin Lambie-Nairn assumed control of the project with a clear view in mind. 'The BBC has always been seen as slightly 'Aunty' and we wanted to get away from that. We wanted to be modern and confident, we wanted to talk about oneness of the nation and unity, but we decided we weren't going to chuck the globe out, but rather work with it.'

After four months of head-scratching, the idea of a balloon was born. Its virtues were obvious: the globe could be retained, it could be shot in locations throughout the UK amd it could be big (they wanted it to be 100ft high, but had to settle for 60ft). 'It added up to BBC1 bringing the world to every corner of the UK,' says Lambie-Nairn. 'It was one of those rare occasions when the client just says, 'Absolutely. Yes. Gotta have it.' In fact, the reaction was great from everyone.'

The operating difficulties of filming the balloon - which was made in the distinctive red and yellow colours because the more obvious blue and green would have merged with land and sea - soon became apparent. 'The main difficulty was getting the thing to fly where we wanted, because it would only go where the wind takes it,' explains Jason Keely, the man given responsibility for overseeing the organisation of the balloon's appearance and flights.



His role proved to be particularly necessary when a shoot on Scotland's west coast ended with a mountain-side crash landing. It was at Eilean Donan, the castle-on-the-lake setting in Highland [above] which has proved the most popular location with viewers. 'The cloud was coming in and they had gone up too high so they had to whack into the side of the mountain,' says Keeley. 'We got an emergency call and contacted the local mountain rescue services; they sent a helicopter and we went on foot. When we got there, the crew had big grins on their faces and were cooking emergency rations of bangers and beans on the balloon's burners.'

Since those early flights, BBC1 had amassed footage from nearly 30 locations. 'The way it is shot is different from other channel identities,' says Lambie-Nairn. 'Other channels employ quick cuts and logos, and it's all very fast, but this is calm. It shows you can grab people's attention by being silent, just as you can by shouting at them.'

The BBC has had to cheat with some images. Those of the balloon over Edinburgh Castle [below], Blackpool Tower and the Needles, off the Isle of Wight, had to be digitally generated because of flight-restriction problems. With a nod towards a younger audience, the channel has deviated from the scenic strategy, adding a skateboarder, bungee jumper and dinosaur to the catalogue. And to mark the festive season, Santa makes an appearance.
Radio Times Article

No clock? WAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!

Sh*t No clock, just hope the idents are good. Although i HATED:( the balloons I did like the globe

This is a very sad day. I like the balloons.

I curse the day Lorraine Hedgehog got into that job. Bring back Peter Salmon - all is forgiven!

I actually realised that the clocks days were numbered recently whilst encoding some old TVS clips, I was looking at the 1987 clock and thinking how sad it is that clocks faded out in the 90s, it was then that I realised that the clock was not used much on BBC 1, at weekends balloons were used before the news. I think its a shame as clocks look good, so don't forget to mock your clocks.

We can assume aswell that BBC TWO has not got a clock either as if the news has to be moved again we will probably get the serious tune on the Bounce ident. I expect BBC ONE will have an ident eith a similar soundtrack to this. So the balloons are finally going, don't get me wrong I love the balloons and think they deserve another year, the two previous globe's COW & 1991 globes had a good six years ans the balloons get not even 5! The cost more aswell! Oh well, time to make sure the current set of balloons ident collection is complete!