About time BBC One updated their identity?

Of course most normal viewers won't care but you can tell it's nearing the end of its natural cycle (pun intended), with no regular additions since 2008. It's tired quickly since the 2009 refresh which killed the concept for me, turning it into bland pieces of film with a logo overlaid. Original soundtracks were stronger too.

Wouldn't like to say how long before the next rebrand though; I imagine there'd have to be serious justification for it (exaggerated or otherwise). Maybe all the channels should go together, try and get some form of semi-united look going again and then argue the long term cost-effectiveness of achieveing that vs. the current situation of each channel doing its own thing and then sloppily retrofitting to the boxed look.

Failing that, just put the originals back in rotation, liven things up a bit for us depressed anoraks.

Or, to summarise, use an updated version of the 1997 design.

The changes to the BBC's funding were announced over a year ago, not long after the current government took over, they had nothing to do with him.

The BBC Trust does have to agree changes to services and will have to agree the imminent DQF plans, but something as small as a few new idents it wouldn't get involved in


Only in the usual suspect newspapers

I think it's simpleness is what's so good about it... a circle is universal and can be used in lots of different ways. In the current climate i don't think they'll change everything for a long time but when it does it'll be evolution rather than a complete change.

I genuinely think there's something to be said for just bringing back a refreshed 1997 package. Remaster the footage, dig out the balloon and do some more in house... whatever, but I'm sure it'd have a positive effect.

In the case of BBC Two, they needn't even scrap their current idents, I think they'd happily sit alongside the 1992 package.

I pretty much agree with Phil and Jonny on the current look and where things should head next.

A rebrand does seem to have been put on hold for BBC channels generally. If there was coming news of a change to at least one of them, I get the feeling that time has just about passed for now. But, It's better they don't rush anything out half-heartedly - in this way, it's equally reassuring as the gap between changes continues to widen.

I do think the current BBC1 lot have always lacked effective direction and are very bland, particularly because the concept - or the 'visual guidelines' for the circle's form - is so loose. Demonstrated in that any old fool can film something circular in seconds - et voila, instant parody!

(As an aside, was recently reminded of the ident style when I came across this shot from a Pink Floyd video.)


I would say the problem with such (over) simplicity is it has resulted in something that's not visually *distinctive* enough, and I don't believe any identity can start to make an impact unless it has a distinctive quality.

It's always good to create something that has wide scope for new ideas, but honestly, 'a circular shape' being the only requirement is taking the biscuit. Although would have to be something like a Digestive, or Rich Tea, maybe a Jammie Dodger on Valentine's Day...

It's fine. Just keep adding to the package with 4 new ones a year. I'm tired of channels in this country constantly rebranding and changing their logos. In America, ABC, NBC & CBS have had the same logos pretty much for 40 years or from when they started. NBC is the peacock network, CBS has the eye and ABC has the same logo. It helps build the identity.

TV companies are endlessly ditching logos and starting again. It's annoying.

Yeah, ITV has had three different corporate logos. Yet some regions never changed theirs until forced to by the 2002 rebrand - Yorkshire only ever had the chevron, Granada's G-arrow also launched in 1968. Border's chopsticks lasted even longer, lasting from their launch until 1999 (and being revived for Granada's generic purple endcaps). Meridian and Westcountry only ever had one logo each before losing their names in 2002 and 1999. Those would surely have lasted longer otherwise. A lot of other ITV companies never changed theirs either, until either losing their franchises or being rebranded as ITV1. The BBC corporate logo has remained unchanged since 1997 (although BBC1's was always an evolution since the 60s, until those "Rhythm and Movement" dancer idents replaced the old globe), ITV have changed theirs twice since then. Channel 4's always had the same logo, for almost 29 years now.

Constant logo changes are mainly a digital channels thing. Of the former analogue terrestrial channels, only BBC2 constantly changed theirs before the 90s.

Grampian Kept the flag for 40 years until 99, ( the ident was itv 1989 version but of course you only saw an ident 3-4 times if you were lucky). Channel 4 has kept the same logo aswell, all this time.

Only companies that have change logo or etc is BBC one, Five, STV changes it couple of time, and its name but seems to have brought STV Name back with the Grampian flag.

Grampian's logo was a diamond shaped version of the St Andrews flag. The current STV logo involves a triangle, with the backdrop completing a normal rectangular version of the flag - so it's not a revival of Grampian's logo.

Can we change the title of this thread to something less confusing? I was also somewhat disappointed.



Some would say that is a perfect representation of BBC One's brand essence.



A little nitpicking. If where talking about consistency in logos, there's not too much difference between the American and British networks. Some change all the time, others have stayed the same. NBC has gone through several drastic changes through the years, and CBS are constantly changing their logo-type (although the eye always remains the same). PBS are also updating their logo from time to time, although the changes have been minor since 1984.

In the UK, the logos have also been remarkably consistent. The BBC logo is still based on the blocks idea from the 1960s, with some necessary modernisation, and Channel 4 has used the same logo since its launch in 1982. I don't think any of them will change in the coming decade. ITV is of course the black sheep, mostly caused by the politics of a national brand replacing regional ones. The 2006 logo was the first ITV logo that wasn't created to please a bunch different companies.

As for IDs and other presentation, it is sometimes changed even more frequently in the States. Many graphics packages only lasted one season.

I don't think five years is an especially long time for an ident package to last, it's only that the previous two sets of BBC1 idents were particularly short-lived at four-and-a-half years each, whereas some of the previous globe idents remained in place for six years or more.



That does seem to be the case - BBC Four's current idents have now been in use for six years (the longest serving BBC idents since the 90s 2s!), BBC Two's for four-and-a-half years and BBC Three's for three-and-a-half years. None of which are in any desperate need of updating, and seeing as the BBC programme pages are currently being updated using the existing channel logos and branding elements, it doesn't look like any changes are in prospect. Which is fine by me, I don't see any need to keep chopping and changing things all the time. (Incidentally I appear to be the only one who much prefers the short, snappy re-edits of the circle idents rather than the long-winded original versions!)