BBC Oneness - idents and presentation

Yes

I agree with you - it's all become a bit of a branding p*ssing contest between the channels.

I expect the editor doing the post on it felt it needed all the extra help it could get!

Yes. Plus I fancy that 'oneness' stays on screen a fraction longer than previously, before the BBC logo appears... They certainly seem to be beefing-up the oneness message, however subtlely.

So, two new idents debuted today.

Let's start with Skaters. The lighting visually makes the ident more watchable to look at and it's a lot less awkward.
Birdwatchers though, feels a lot less drab and lifeless especially when the people featured raise up their binoculars. Also, far more suitable for news and serious programming.
A slight improvement over the first five idents that have been introduced - a lot less awkward and far more bearable to watch (especially Skaters). It seems that the direction has slightly changed following the furore over Sea Swimmers and Exercise Class.

However, the fundamental problems of the set still persist, including the shaky camerawork, no post-processing work, and the breathtaking lack of creativity or thought.

A slight improvement. But, it still isn't shaking off the bad image set off by the first five idents aired. BBC Creative needs a lot more work to be done if they're considered to be fit for purpose with rebrand projects.

re Birdwatchers ident, Just noticed the birds in flight, far into the distance from left to right across the sky. Adding in post, surely.

The major problem for me, though, is that I still don't connect with them emotionally - on any level, or in any way. I am not a birdwatcher, I don't go to roller discos, or exercise classes, or swim in the sea, I don't play wheelchair rugby and don't volunteer as a mountain rescuer. I am also not a tree...


They feel remote and say nothing about me or my life. And come to think of it, they say nothing about the BBC or the specific channel they're representing either.

Good branding is meant to engender a sense of emotional connection, a belonging, with the audience. These, despite using 'everyday people' coming toghether in shared experiences, don't.

It's not just the unimaginative production of them that's the problem. The basic idea of a portrait style snapshot is different and interesting, but these are missing depth, dimension and a unique hook - they need to have wit & warmth, or be genuinely eccentric, or provoke thought.

I think you're turned out to be correct re new logo positioning with stings.

Birdwatchers #1 Sting video here:

Actually, thinking about it, the portrait approach would have worked better if the campaign had repositioned BBC One as being about uniqueness or individualism. The idea that the channel stands for being proud, strong, independent and different. You could still have had groups of people doing shared activities, but the 'hook' would be that, in each case, one of the group was different - what they did, wore, reacted etc was unique. This would introduce the opportunity to be witty, warm, eccentric, provoking, educational etc.

In a way the current C4 look relies much more on the brief stings to sell the brand identity than the idents themselves.

Agreed. The promo graphics and stings are great. Granted, Channel 4 has a remit to be different - but those idents are just too bizarre to be meaningful. The connection to the channel's brand/logo is just too obscure. And that, surely, defeats the purpose of an ident.

Agreed. Branding companies/agencies/experts have, unsurprisingly, been over-egging the importance of on-screen branding for many years now. Yes, it's important but not to the extent that extravagant sums of money should be spent on unnecessarily elaborate and 'arty' sequences. Agencies have been blowing smoke up the arses of naïve TV executives for years and convincing them of the need to invest large sums in their brand image, to outdo the competition.

Idents have a simple purpose. As I've said, we need to get back to basics - make them shorter, clearer, impactful and visually impressive. And let's stop all the secondary meaning trash ('Oneness', 'Coming Together' etc etc).. And above all else, let's get away from all this bland live-action stuff.