Digital Pictures has designed and produced the channel rebranding, for ABC 1 and ABC 2. The Digital Pictures' creative team conceptualised and designed the rebranding across a number of communications including channel IDs and websites.
Digital Pictures was awarded this significant branding project based on their design ability to demonstrate how they would differentiate the brands in an ever-increasing multi-channel environment – a key component of the brief. ABC1 being the place for high-quality, trusted content and ABC2 being home to quirky content for younger viewers.
This is the first major network rebrand for Digital Pictures and was spearheaded by acclaimed design director, Finn Spencer, Executive Producer, Alastair Stephen and Senior Producer, Simone Clow. The commercial team is no stranger to network rebranding, having worked together on design projects for a number of different channels including Foxtel, Foxsports, TV1, and Networks Seven and Ten.
Executive Producer for Digital Pictures' commercials division, Alastair Stephen said ‘Not only were we given the exciting opportunity of rebranding the flagship channel of the Australian National Broadcaster, but this project was made more challenging and interesting given the brief to retain existing viewers and to engage with a younger working family demographic whilst retaining the image of ABC as a destination for 'truth' and 'credibility'. The ABC is also positioning ABC1 as the home of intelligent entertainment. Our "Think Entertainment" tagline conveys both these ideas in a sophisticated and visually exciting way’.
The rebrand was driven by the new head of ABC TV Marketing, Diana Costantini. 'As is the way with channel rebrand projects, we had little time, not much money and loads of ambition. I was delighted to be collaborating with a familiar team who were accommodating, flexible and professional throughout. They cracked it at pitch stage! They delivered great looking channels that speak to our audiences.'
Working closely with ABC Marketing, Digital Pictures conceived the channel taglines as a starting point and built on that foundation to re-design logos, create new channel IDs and develop branding packages for both ABC1 and ABC2.
Digital Pictures created six network idents for ABC1 that incorporated live-action narrative, 3D animation and visual effects. In these idents 3D animated photo-real ‘thought bubbles’ emit from the minds of different characters, bursting with playful graphic images reflecting the breadth and excitement of the network’s content.
Finn Spencer adds: ‘This wasn't just another job. We were passionate about delivering quality design that was visually compelling. Every good motion designer in Australia aspires to work on a network rebrand as prestigious as the ABC, at some stage of their career. It's a badge of honour’.
From a branding perspective, the design team reworked the ABC typeface logo to compliment the ABC News logo. The design team created a new font for the numbers 1 and 2, and the ABC1 logo was updated with a new colour palette of aqua and burnt orange, colours that represent the Australian landscape.
The newly rebranded ABC 1 went to air in March with the new look ABC2 unveiled on 1st April, 2011.
CREDITS FOR ABC 1 & 2:
Digital Pictures, Sydney Commercial & Design Team
Executive Producer: Alastair Stephen
Senior Producer: Simone Clow
Design Director: Finn Spencer
Design Director: Phil Robson
Abstract Idents Director: Husein Alicajic, Photoplay
2D VFX Lead: Bertrand Polivka
2D VFX: Marcus Bolton, Angus Wilson
3D Lead: Kanin Phemayothin
2D After Effects Artists: Vincent Chodez, Daniel Balzer
DOP: Tony Luu
Editor: Cameron Hales
Colorist: Dwaine Hyde
Music and Sound Design: Uncanny Valley
ABC: Head of Marketing: Diana Costantini
