I agree with everything you say, except the last part (in bold). The centralised NI logo looks great with these idents IMO. Do you have any alternative ideas about the logo that you could see as an improvement over NI's logo?
Because I don't watch BBC2 a great deal I've lost track of how we've got to where we are, and what the original non-ident pres was before they went with the wild colour end boards.
Because I don't watch BBC2 a great deal I've lost track of how we've got to where we are, and what the original non-ident pres was before they went with the wild colour end boards.
It's not surprising they've forgotten how to do a cohesive look because the last one was so long ago: (scroll half way down for examples of the launch style). It was classy, understated and most importantly looked like it belonged next to the idents.
Supporting
presentation, not horrendously clashing presentation.
There were specially made films showing different but complementary environments underneath the '2'; a sophisticated, well-thought out choice of colours and, although that box is never going to look pretty, lots of sympathetic space was always left to accommodate its large size and placement. That's why it looks so bad now - it's not being used in the situations it was designed for and nothing new (or old new) takes it into account; it's slapped on as the most casual of casual after-thoughts, regardless of how bad it looks (sorry, that's just our logo).
But yes, there was a very brief, easily forgotten time when "Windows on the World" all fit together and made sense as a BBC2 identity, with development potential. Unfortunately, it was hopelessly mismanaged from the get-go (no regular additions, dropping half the set, all the nonsense from late 2008 onwards so soon into a new, expensive campaign). The reality is they
really
should have saved precious resources and allowed it to run in its original form until around 2012/13, skipping the appallingly unnecessary refresh that still lingers like a toxic smell.
I think these idents could've easily been on level with the Channel 4 ones if they put the money in the right place for new idents rather than creating useless new packages. Also, this was supposed to be the 2008 refresh but somehow I can say that 2009 was better. https://vimeo.com/7682722 My eyes!
I think these idents could've easily been on level with the Channel 4 ones if they put the money in the right place for new idents rather than creating useless new packages. Also, this was supposed to be the 2008 refresh but somehow I can say that 2009 was better.
https://vimeo.com/7682722 My eyes!
Worse than what we have now, not by much but we should count our blessings if we were destined to get menus that say "Mock the Wk".
:-(
A former member
I like those, yes the front is truly dire but im sure that minor issue could have been worked on.
The image in the 2 has never really worked as an endboard as it's simply not the right shape for it - it doesn't really showcase the image behind it, while also not letting it disappear into the background in the way the C4 endboard does. The only endboard I've felt the window 2 actually works on was the recent July promotion, which IIRC had a grid of images behind it rather than one.
The image in the 2 has never really worked as an endboard as it's simply not the right shape for it - it doesn't really showcase the image behind it, while also not letting it disappear into the background in the way the C4 endboard does. The only endboard I've felt the window 2 actually works on was the recent July promotion, which IIRC had a grid of images behind it rather than one.
That goes back to the fact the distinctive '2' numeral wasn't originally conceived as being used as negative space, but as a fat, physical object things could happen to. Sure, it was redrawn slightly in 2007 to make the proportions more even (I guess to produce a neater "frame"?) but it still doesn't really work, looks less aesthetically pleasing than the original and was a boring, overdone, creatively bankrupt idea anyway.
Now, the '2' as more of a physical portal into another world (as was seen in Mirror and, to a lesser extent, Zoetrope)
there
was the idea worth exploring further*, with similar resources and production values thrown behind it.
*I don't count those horrible "2Dimensions" promos (if anyone even remembers them) as having adequately done this as 1) they weren't idents and 2) they somehow managed to simultaneously look expensive and hideously cheap (the way the '2' was achingly shoehorned in).
I think I'd still love them if they hadn't made such a botched job of bringing them back. I can't love them with badly aligned, badly sized and badly positioned, ugly graphics overlaid on them. The lack of care with which they've been brought back, exemplified by the stretched 4:3 version of Silk, actually does our fond memories of these great idents a huge disservice.
I might feel differently if I lived in Northern Ireland, although the stacked, centered logo still looks rubbish... just less rubbish than the teal box.
I agree with everything you say, except the last part (in bold). The centralised NI logo looks great with these idents IMO. Do you have any alternative ideas about the logo that you could see as an improvement over NI's logo?
I just think the stacked logo looks cramped underneath the '2'. From a design point of view, the 1997 stripped logo fits the space much better.
From a branding point of view though, personally, I would stick with the boxed logo for consistency (not that that usually matters to BBC Two), but in white, and smaller, positioned a bit further to the right - basically the same as the 50th Anniversary idents but without the box rotating.
I think I'd still love them if they hadn't made such a botched job of bringing them back. I can't love them with badly aligned, badly sized and badly positioned, ugly graphics overlaid on them. The lack of care with which they've been brought back, exemplified by the stretched 4:3 version of Silk, actually does our fond memories of these great idents a huge disservice.
I might feel differently if I lived in Northern Ireland, although the stacked, centered logo still looks rubbish... just less rubbish than the teal box.
I agree with everything you say, except the last part (in bold). The centralised NI logo looks great with these idents IMO. Do you have any alternative ideas about the logo that you could see as an improvement over NI's logo?
I just think the stacked logo looks cramped underneath the '2'. From a design point of view, the 1997 stripped logo fits the space much better.
From a branding point of view though, personally, I would stick with the boxed logo for consistency (not that that usually matters to BBC Two), but in white, and smaller, positioned a bit further to the right - basically the same as the 50th Anniversary idents but without the box rotating.
I would prefer a BBC1 style logo where then at least your two main channels have continuity in logo.
Bit of an odd trail for BBC Two on BBC One just now - "Sundays Don't Stop", backed by the disco song "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough," and composed of clips from
Family Guy
, sketch show (probably)
The Javone Prince Show
(no, nor me), and...
...hard-hitting political conspiracy thriller
Odyssey
.
