ITV Gears Up for Business-Wide Rebrand

LONDON: ITV has unveiled the first details of its large-scale rebrand, starting in January 2013, part of which sees the flagship ITV1 channel being renamed simply as ITV.

Part of the company’s Transformation Plan, the rebrand will create a unified brand identity that spans across the branding for ITV plc, including channels and online, and all ITV Studios content and the distribution businesses. A new logo will be used, one that has five colors and is curvy like that of human handwriting. When the logo appears on a colored background, it will adapt and change according to the color scheme of the image.

The bouquet of U.K. channels will all have a new on-air look. ITV2, ITV3, ITV4 and CiTV will all get new color schemes, clearer brand propositions and accompanying updated brand identities. Starting in January, ITV1 will simply be called ITV. Sub-brands, such as ITV News and ITV Sport, will also get new on-air brand identities and color schemes. The ITV Player and online destinations will be rebranded as well.

The on-air changes will start in January 2013. The ITV network broadcast business will have a brand-new creative style in promotional junctions. This includes a new approach to idents. ITV is hoping to have a much broader range of idents throughout the year. They will be a revolving collection of season-specific designs, featuring real people, looking to capture moments from everyday life across the U.K.

Rufus Radcliffe, the group director of marketing and research, said, "In an evermore crowed marketplace, both domestically and internationally, the need for a modern, flexible brand identity that connects with our viewers and customers has never been more important. We are really excited to soon be unveiling a new identity that is as up to date and relevant as our content. Big, bold and creatively ambitious, it will be true to our DNA as a brand at the heart of popular culture."