TM
It wouldn't surprise me considering how gradually it was introduced, but did the 87-97 BBC logo have a corporate branding guide as its successor would?
JA
It was such a strangely slow phase in, as we can see here the logo was first used in 1987, yet the previous logo was still being used in some places into the early 90s.
TM
One example I can think of is BBC Video, now despite the 87 logo appearing on video sleeves as early as the introduction of the COW logo in 1988, and on front covers from late 1990, the logo on the tapes wouldn't be updated until mid 1991.
The strange thing is that the ident they used actually debuted at the end of BBC trails in early 1990, complete with the piano jingle: it seems someone at BBC Enterprises only just remembered they had an ident with the then-current logo, but even so, some releases as late as November 1991, such as Genesis of the Daleks on a Doctor Who VHS twin pack with The Sontaran Experiment (which had the new logo!) and Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em - 2 - Have a Break, Take a Husband had the COW logo, assuming these were mastered right before the new logo was used.
Very interestingly, Pingu: Barrel of Fun, which originally had the COW logo, was reprinted with the new logo, these prints are extremely rare and I remember owning this version as a kid, so you can imagine my surprise when I saw openings of the tape with the COW logo many years later!
(Excuse the potato video quality)
It was such a strangely slow phase in, as we can see here the logo was first used in 1987, yet the previous logo was still being used in some places into the early 90s.
One example I can think of is BBC Video, now despite the 87 logo appearing on video sleeves as early as the introduction of the COW logo in 1988, and on front covers from late 1990, the logo on the tapes wouldn't be updated until mid 1991.
The strange thing is that the ident they used actually debuted at the end of BBC trails in early 1990, complete with the piano jingle: it seems someone at BBC Enterprises only just remembered they had an ident with the then-current logo, but even so, some releases as late as November 1991, such as Genesis of the Daleks on a Doctor Who VHS twin pack with The Sontaran Experiment (which had the new logo!) and Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em - 2 - Have a Break, Take a Husband had the COW logo, assuming these were mastered right before the new logo was used.
Very interestingly, Pingu: Barrel of Fun, which originally had the COW logo, was reprinted with the new logo, these prints are extremely rare and I remember owning this version as a kid, so you can imagine my surprise when I saw openings of the tape with the COW logo many years later!
(Excuse the potato video quality)
Last edited by ToasterMan on 21 August 2020 4:12pm
NJ
Neil Jones
Founding member
BBC Video went through about five different themes on its ident before they finally decided it should at least look something like the rest of the BBC's output (some of the pre 1990 variations are rarer than others apparently):
I think after 1990 they decided sod this and just used the BBC logo/generic sting of the time for years afterwards, though I dare say they've drifted back towards some relatively unique stings for more recent BBC DVD releases, but its still basically the BBC Blocks when it boils down to it.
I think after 1990 they decided sod this and just used the BBC logo/generic sting of the time for years afterwards, though I dare say they've drifted back towards some relatively unique stings for more recent BBC DVD releases, but its still basically the BBC Blocks when it boils down to it.
SP
It was still on the side of BBC Leeds's building in neon form until it closed in 2004.
It was such a strangely slow phase in, as we can see here the logo was first used in 1987, yet the previous logo was still being used in some places into the early 90s.
It was still on the side of BBC Leeds's building in neon form until it closed in 2004.
DE
Lest we forget, Playdays was still using the 1972 logo in 1992 - including on VHSs (nothing that can be done about this uploader's watermark, alas).
It adopted the underlined logo later that year when the guidelines were revised (nothing that can be done about the ropey picture quality, sadly):
Yet somehow this got out in 1995 (no watermarks or poor picture quality this time, fortunately):
It was such a strangely slow phase in, as we can see here the logo was first used in 1987, yet the previous logo was still being used in some places into the early 90s.
Lest we forget, Playdays was still using the 1972 logo in 1992 - including on VHSs (nothing that can be done about this uploader's watermark, alas).
It adopted the underlined logo later that year when the guidelines were revised (nothing that can be done about the ropey picture quality, sadly):
Yet somehow this got out in 1995 (no watermarks or poor picture quality this time, fortunately):
JA
Maid Marian and Her Merry Men was still using it in 1993 as well.
Compared to 1997 where the change was overnight, apart from a few shows that had been made before the logo change, and EastEnders, which kept it until the end of the year (apparently so they didn't have to re-edit the end sequence).
Compared to 1997 where the change was overnight, apart from a few shows that had been made before the logo change, and EastEnders, which kept it until the end of the year (apparently so they didn't have to re-edit the end sequence).
JA
It was still on the side of BBC Leeds's building in neon form until it closed in 2004.
Was still on Radio Derby's studios into the early 00s as well.
It was such a strangely slow phase in, as we can see here the logo was first used in 1987, yet the previous logo was still being used in some places into the early 90s.
It was still on the side of BBC Leeds's building in neon form until it closed in 2004.
Was still on Radio Derby's studios into the early 00s as well.
TM
As Martin Lambie Nairn pointed out, the counters in the "
B
"s would in many instances look dots or disappear when being reduced in size, there were also instances in print and on copyright disclaimers when the "
/B/B/C/
" font looked ridiculously thick. Oddly enough, I think it's successor initially had the opposite problem, where the logo font looked off when it was thinner than it should have been, though this was mostly fixed once digital TV facilities arrived.
Another example of incorrect copyright disclaimers was You and Me, which adopted the branding guidelines like most other shows in 1990, however... when SFTV took over production for its final series in 1992, they changed it to the same non standard font that was used on certain Pebble Mill shows and BBC News in 1989:
There were also two variants of the official copyright strap, for example as seen on Blue Peter from 1990-mid 1991, with a thicker logo and copyright text, (early editions with this lacked the drop shadow).
Which changed in late 1991 to the one used on most other shows at the time, (note this is the last edition from 1991, with a copyright year of 1992):
Another example of incorrect copyright disclaimers was You and Me, which adopted the branding guidelines like most other shows in 1990, however... when SFTV took over production for its final series in 1992, they changed it to the same non standard font that was used on certain Pebble Mill shows and BBC News in 1989:
There were also two variants of the official copyright strap, for example as seen on Blue Peter from 1990-mid 1991, with a thicker logo and copyright text, (early editions with this lacked the drop shadow).
Which changed in late 1991 to the one used on most other shows at the time, (note this is the last edition from 1991, with a copyright year of 1992):
Last edited by ToasterMan on 21 August 2020 4:48pm - 2 times in total
JA
Lest we forget, Playdays was still using the 1972 logo in 1992 - including on VHSs (nothing that can be done about this uploader's watermark, alas).
It adopted the underlined logo later that year when the guidelines were revised (nothing that can be done about the ropey picture quality, sadly):
Yet somehow this got out in 1995 (no watermarks or poor picture quality this time, fortunately):
Admittedly it was quite a common thing pre-1997 for shows made by indies to have some very odd variations on the BBC logo.
It was such a strangely slow phase in, as we can see here the logo was first used in 1987, yet the previous logo was still being used in some places into the early 90s.
Lest we forget, Playdays was still using the 1972 logo in 1992 - including on VHSs (nothing that can be done about this uploader's watermark, alas).
It adopted the underlined logo later that year when the guidelines were revised (nothing that can be done about the ropey picture quality, sadly):
Yet somehow this got out in 1995 (no watermarks or poor picture quality this time, fortunately):
Admittedly it was quite a common thing pre-1997 for shows made by indies to have some very odd variations on the BBC logo.