BBC Switch

BBC announces multi-platform offering for UK teenagers

Well, it's here. I think it's a good idea, but think it could turn out to be one of those things that thinks it's "cooler" than it actually is.

I think the commissions listed sound ok, would probably have tried to watch them when I was that age. Me and friends were watching blackadder and red dwarf etc and comedies by that time and I think any comedy programmes that it produces will probably just conform to the character-sketch show thing. It seems that music and soaps are the bulk of it currently.

Branding will be interesting - I think a simple/modern package would work best to try to get across to most teens. Not graffiti style graphics - but i doubt they're that stupid.

Today really is the day for new channels and change announcements, isn't it?

www.bbc.co.uk/switch diverts to a See Hear programme called Switch. Ooops!

The brand new BBC teen strand is hidden away on a Saturday afternoon on BBC2. Surely this can't be the best slot for it? Even T4 keep their best shows for Sunday. On the Saturday they just show repeats from either the previous Sunday or the Friday night. They should have done it on a Sunday with a lead in from Something for the Weekend.

It has been changed now.

I hope the logo's something simple like that (though hopefully a little more exciting!) rather than some graffiti crap.

Surely that is the logo or else what would be the point in putting that up a few weeks before a different image is launched? It looks a bit boring to me....and more inconsistency by putting the BBC logo in yet another different position - wonder how they'll chop it up to put in a silly alternative and unnecessary box logo?

Phew, a non graffiti logo.

I would'nt want a repeat of the olympics.

that might be a holder though.

On it's own, that's too dull. Making it the 'centrepiece' of the channel's look might not work as it is honestly very plain.

As long as that logo is not the focus of the channel's branding, and rather there's some sort of design theme or other symbol as the actual main identification, it could be alright.

I say this because I'm comparing it to DEF II (purely on a branding level, not programmes), and thinking about what worked; while the logo on it's own as a symbol it would've been weak, what really identified the strand IMO was the whole B&W stripes thing it had going on - simple, yet very much stood out!

I doubt it is the logo, more a holding image.

Well they said it's not a channel, I hope they are still working on the logo, also when I went on bbc.co.uk/teens they had the old Radio logos on.

Logo's quite boring.

Here's one knocked together earlier:

http://jrothwell97.googlepages.com/bbcswitch.png
(Inkscape SVG version 10k: clicky)

I'm not claiming that's perfect, but at least it's less boring and is more versatile.