New look for BBC1

I suppose while there's no one definitive meaning, in a context alluding to them being gay, I think the writer thought they are a bit 'fairy-like'? But then I suppose to anyone unfamiliar to Capoeira or similar, it could look a bit odd at first.

You're right though, I can't think of that word being used often by many people.

fey:
1. Having or displaying an otherworldly, magical, or fairylike aspect or quality: “She's got that fey look as though she's had breakfast with a leprechaun” (Dorothy Burnham).
2. Having visionary power; clairvoyant.
3. Appearing touched or crazy, as if under a spell.
2. Scots.
1. Fated to die soon.
2. Full of the sense of approaching death.

Or Meaning #1: slightly insane

I agree. When Heggesey came in she wanted to ditch the balloon as she perceived it to be 'slow' and 'imperialistic'. In actual fact, the globe was the ultimate symbol of diversity and inclusiveness - literally the BBC bringing the world to every viewer. I find it odd that this iconic image was abandoned at a time when many companies were actively branding themselves to be perceived as more global and inclusive (eg. BT's 'Connected World' logo, the BA tailfins etc).

I can understand that images of the balloon floating over the UK countryside may have appeared slow and lacking in human interaction, and thus viewers may have felt a lack of connection with it. However, instead of the replacing it completely, all that was required was to add more of the 'lifestyle' versions of the balloon (in which the focus was on people with the balloon in the background) and phase out the scenic ones over time. The red box would have fitted-in well and the channel would have kept it's iconic symbol - just interpreting it in a more dynamic & interactive way.

What strikes me is that, again, the brand new idents could all have incorporated the globe very successfully, and thus kept BBC One's heritage alive...

Bikes - camera could be in the middle of the bikes as they race around the track, panning up as the balloon floats over

Ring-a-roses - petals falling from the sky onto the kids could actually be revealed to be falling from the balloon itself (other kids throwing them out of the basket)

Kites - as the kites are being flown the balloon floats low over the top of the sand dunes

Moon - once the moon has been pieced together, the balloon floats across it as the fishing boats look on. Alternatively, instead of being in fishing boats, people are piecing the moon together from the basket of the balloon and the camera then pans-out to see the balloon in front of the completed moon

Surfer - again the balloon floats above the water & past the surfers as they ride the waves

Windows - the balloon floats past the apartment block and it's reflection is caught in the windows

Hippos - the balloon can be seen above the surface of the water as the hippos swim

That would be very cluttered and messy. It would also confuse the message - is it to do with the balloon or the circle?

Bringing the balloon back is not an option, reverting the brand back by 5 years would be a silly move

Totally agree - I wasn't suggesting reverting back - once you've made a decision like that you can't & shouldn't backtrack on it. I really like the new idents and am happy with them as they are.

All I was saying was that the globe was a really iconic channel identifier (like the NBC peacock etc) and they were mad to have gotten rid of it in the first place.

I was trying to make the point that, in the balloon form, the globe is a very flexible idea. Had it still been in existence today then it could easily have been incorporated into the new people-focussed idents. You wouldn't have needed the circle theme - the balloon would have provided the context. All that was ever needed with the balloon was a shift of focus from it being a 'remote' & detached object on the horizon to being a device that interacted with people (whether they be dancing, doing extraordinary things, or just as a backdrop to their everyday lives).

The '2' is more than 15 years old, yet I wouldn't say the brand has aged by 15 years...

they kept adding new scenarios to the set which kept it constantly fresh, and eventually completely changed the focus of the idents in 2001, yet kept the numeral on.

We'd only be reverting back by 5 years if we used the exact same ident set as 5 years ago. It's certainly not a good idea to straight 'recycle' old idents like that.

Interpret the globe or its balloon incarnation in a new way, however, and I'd still say we are still moving forward.

My idea of moving forward is not so much taking increasingly different approaches to idents, but rather, after a number of years, replacing a set of idents with a look that is a step forward in quality in comparison to previous eras, not just the most recently passed era. Otherwise, when an idea can't be bettered, what's the point in replacing it with a weaker one?

The balloon in particular was and *is* a better concept than the circles; I'd be more than happy to see it return for this reason, at the very heart unchanged, but taken to the next level, with a new twist.

I myself favour quality of idea over recency, not the other way around.

That is one of the things I didn't like about Heggessey. Why must everything be "fast" in that case? Slow imagery can actually make people watch more instead of giving them headaches from about 50 images a second. Fast imagery just screams out that it wants to be seen as "cool" by the youth, when actually they just laugh at it and think "How can they ever be able to capture the idea of what we do? They'll never get it"

I saw a brief teaser trailer last night after Spooks.

I'm guessing it was for the new look, but I could be wrong.

If it was 'brief' as in no more than 1 or 2 seconds, I'm thinking it might be linked to Torchwood...?



...I could say how she clearly ignored just how iconic it had become, and much more besides. Bottom line though; it was an extremely premature death.

Yes, exactly, the '2' was never ditched so it still works. The Balloon was ditched and therefore shouldn't be brought back



The circle is a much simpler concept and therefore much more versatile. As a concept the balloon was good, but perhaps a little contrived.

It is

So that's why it keeps cropping up then.

I'd be interested to see whether or not stings will be included in the new presentation.