NGC, NGCI Institute Global Tagline

WASHINGTON, D.C.: National Geographic Channel U.S. (NGC) and National Geographic Channels International (NGCI) are rolling out their first-ever global tagline, "Live Curious," and brand campaign, beginning November 15 and extending to 166 countries in 34 languages.

The new campaign will run from November to March of 2010 and will feature customizable elements for regional audiences. Both NGC and NGCI are joint ventures between Fox Cable Networks and National Geographic Ventures, with David Haslingden as global CEO. The new global tagline follows the adoption last year of a universal National Geographic Channel logo and on-air look, along with an increase in global co-production of programming.

"Live Curious" was developed after worldwide consumer research conducted to identify common values that reflect the essence of the National Geographic brand. "’Live Curious’ is at the heart of National Geographic’s DNA, and the National Geographic brand is one of the most familiar and powerful global brands, transcending borders and cultures," said Haslingden. "And with the National Geographic Channels continuing to increase momentum worldwide, it has become increasingly important to create a common voice that would resonate in every language, while at the same time leaving space for each region to maximize local relevance."

The campaign will first be introduced in the U.S., India and the Netherlands and will eventually reach 315 million homes in 166 countries. It includes fully produced spots of varying length, as well as core elements around which each region can add local footage, talent, messaging and other features. These localized campaigns will be shared with all other regions as the basis for ongoing generations of the campaign worldwide. The National Geographic Channels in Australia, Hong Kong, Italy, Spain, Turkey, U.K. and the U.S. are expected to be the first to create local campaigns.

Rafael Sandor, the executive VP of creative and marketing for NGCI, and Kiera Hynninen, the executive VP of marketing for NGC U.S., jointly oversaw the development of the tagline and brand campaign. Italian production company Mercurio Film and creative consultant Patrizio Marini were commissioned to execute the primary 30-second and minute-long spots. U.S.-based Click 3X is creating program-centric extensions for the global campaign; and various other extensions are being produced internally.

"Curiosity is what propels humanity to seek answers and question the unknown," said Hynninen. "It’s a universal attitude we share with our audiences through our compelling, smart and innovative programming."

"’Live curious’" is about exploration, pioneering and questioning, which captures National Geographic’s shared spirit," added Sandor. "The campaign aims to connect on a human level so no matter what country you live in or language you speak, this message to ‘Live Curious’ hits close to home."