New look: RTP1

RTP1 is the primary channel of Portugal's state broadcaster and the oldest TV channel in the country. It rates as the third most watched network in Portugal, behind commercial rivals SIC and TVI. This month, it launched a new on-screen look along with the slogan Portugal sempre ligado (meaning something like "Portugal always connected").

The new look is said to reflect Portugal's history, culture, regions and its people. Idents seem to come in two varieties. Some show time lapses of landscapes and landmarks around Portugal, others are shots of smiling young people. (Either there is some distinction about their usage that I don't understand, or they couldn't decide on a single concept.)

Graphics are employing a full spectrum of bright colours and effective "folding" animations. The current RTP1 logo was introduced in 2004 as part of a company-wide identity programme and remains unchanged.
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More on: VH1

Earlier this month, the American cable channel VH1 launched a new visual identity, including its first logo change in almost ten years. It was covered here at the time. The new look was created by New York design firm Gretel, who published their case study, a video montage and a few more images last week.
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New logo: HD1

December 12, 2012 saw the launch of six new national television channels in France that had been licensed earlier that year. On of the more high-profile channels were HD1, a new channel dedicated to series and movies launched by TF1, the leading commercial broadcaster.

The visual identity was devised by broadcast design agency Dream On. Overall, the on-air look has a cinematic premium feel. It is said to be designed as a series of stories, aiming to "give the brand a cinematic dimension and a promise of a great show". The break bumpers show blurred backgrounds where different objects appear to revealed the logo.

Dream On worked with a visual effects studio called Microbe Studio in creating the break bumpers.
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New logo: Food Network

Food Network, the first network solely dedicated to food, launched a new look this month, on Sunday January 6. The agency behind this rebrand was Troika who did everything from strategy, to logo design, to graphics package.

The plate-shaped logo has received a minor update with more contemporary typefaces and a "sense of dimension". The last Food Network logo was introduced almost exactly ten years earlier, on January 1, 2003.

Programming on the Food Network is very much driven by celebrities the network itself has created, and they are the focal point of the new look along with food-related environments and textures. This is summed up in the creative concept, dubbed "Characters and Stories". Visually, the graphics are built on modules with different textures, colors and imagery relating to different genres of specific programs.
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New look: ITV2, ITV3, ITV4 and CITV

In addition its primary channel, ITV also has four additional "digital" channels, launched several years ago. They are called ITV2, ITV3, ITV4 and CITV and cater to different audiences. These channels also launched new look this morning.

Unlike ITV, which has a logo that constantly changes colour, the digital channels each have a defined signature colour. All idents and information specific to each channel can be found below.
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ITV's new look launched today

This morning saw the launch of a rebrand for Britain's most watched commercial broadcaster, ITV. The new logo, unveiled back in November, was implemented simultaneously across all assets, including the main ITV network (previously known as ITV1), the four additional channels, the regional news stations and the production and distribution business ITV Studios.

The rebrand was directed by the in-house bureau ITV Creative. The logo was developed by ITV with designer Matt Rudd and type foundry Fontsmith. The latter also developed a new typeface family, called ITV Reem.

The ITV network now has a broad set of idents with snippets of footage that "captures moments from everyday life across the UK, featuring real people and real scenes". The logo blends with the background by picking the colours behind it.
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New logo: Foxtel Movies

On January 1, the operations of Australia's two premium movie channel packages - Showtime and Movie Network - were winded down and replaced by one common brand, Foxtel Movies. This was because Australia's largest pay TV distributor wanted to take its premium channels in-house and buy movies directly from the content providers. Previously, Foxtel only owned half of Showtime Australia, while the rest of that service and all of Movie Network was owned by consortia of movie studios.

The main logo is a straight-forward Gotham wordmark with a leaning M that is also used separately as an icon. Logos for individual channels consists of the leaning M and the channel name.
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More on: UniMás

Back in December, we were reached by the news that US-Hispanic broadcast TV network Telefutura would be renamed UniMás. The new name and brand identity launched yesterday, January 7, which gave us and the viewers the opportunity to see how it would work on screen. Los Angeles broadcast design agency Troika worked with many aspects of the brand launch, including logo design, graphics package and a marketing campaign (although the name was selected internally).

The logo is a "youthful twist" on Univision's abstract U symbol. In the divided wordmark, the "Uni" part links back to the parent company, while the bolder "Más" reflects the "always more" attitude of the desired audience of Millennials.

All graphical elements feature forward-leaning angle as the logo, including the typeface. Motion graphics seem to constantly move forward on screen.
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New look: TV4

TV4 is Sweden's most watched commercial TV channel, founded in 1990. Yesterday, December 13, it introduced a new on-air graphics package.

The previous graphics package was introduced in September 2006 and has had a very long run. The idents featured presenters of TV4 programmes in a red backstage environment.

In the new look, TV4 reaches out into the Swedish reality. Different shots of Swedish landscapes have a cloud of dots in different shades of red flying through them. The dots are motif that TV4 has used in various forms for several years, and the new look was created as an evolution of that.

The new look was developed with broadcast agency Fireplace. Chimney Stockholm did post production and animation while music was composed by Magnus Frykberg and Gustaf Thörn.
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More on: C More

In September, the Scandinavian branch of the premium TV channel Canal+ was renamed C More. It was covered here back in June when the rebrand was announced. The new logo was developed by Ohlsonsmith, while the on-air design came from Swedish broadcast design studio Dallas.

Dallas were also the agency behind the previous on-air design for Canal+ in Scandinavia, introduced in 2007. Where it was built on realistic 3D renderings on dark backgrounds, the new look is much brighter and lighter. Idents feature some kind of colourful smoke or streams of water that expand.
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New logo: Digi Sport

Digi Sport is a set of premium sports channels available in Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Croatia from the regional satellite company Digi. On August 1, it launched a completely new look, created by British broadcast design studio Kemistry, who had previously redesigned other channels for Digi. On-screen, the logo is constantly moving through fluid animation. Info graphics are also animated and use the same purple and blue colour scheme as the logo.
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New look: The CW

The CW is the fifth-largest English language television network in the United States, formed in 2006 when The WB and UPN merged. It skews more to younger viewers than the four larger networks, with series including 90210, Gossip Girl and America's Next Top Model. For the start of the autumn season, the network has a new look and a new slogan, "TV Now", as part of a strategy to further turn The CW into a multi-platform, multi-screen brand. It runs through the new look as both a promise and a call to action.

Los Angeles motion design studio Troika have been working with The CW since its launch and designed the original logo and on-air graphics package. They are also behind this latest redesign. The new look replaces the "TV To Talk About" branding that was introduced in 2009, also created by Troika.
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More on: D8 and D17

Back in September, this blog reported on the substantial relaunch of two national TV channels in France, now called D8 and D17 and owned by Canal+. The agencies behind that redesign are Flab Prod in Paris and Troika Design Group in Los Angeles. Neville Brody's Research Studios were also involved. Troika has posted two extensive case studies of their work, part of which are is republished below.
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New logo: 13TV

13TV is a national TV channel in Spain launched in 2010 that targets the entire family with programmes based on and compliant with the values of the Catholic church. In September, it launched a new look, created by Madrid-based Gulliver Studio.

The cube logo used until now has been replaced by a plectrum shape, but its warm yellow colour is retained and complemented with purple. The colours and curved shapes creates a relaxed and welcoming on-air image.
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More on: Yu

The Russian music channel Muz-TV was relaunched in September as "Yu", a general youth channel: It was reported here back in August, but at the time there was little more than a low-resolution version of the logo available. Since then, it has been revealed that the on-air graphics were created by BDA Creative in London. Brand consultancy Komandor Brains & Brands handled strategy.
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New logo: D8 and D17

Direct 8 and Direct Star are two French national TV channels, launched in 2005 as apart of the new digital network. Direct 8 was originally devoted to live programming, but eventually expanded into a broader general channel, while Direct Star is a youth channel with plenty of music videos. Recently, both channels were purchased by Canal+, who are relaunching them on October 7 under the names D8 and D17. D8 will be completely overhauled with the programme budget more than doubled and most of the current programmes being cancelled.

A simple flat version of D8's logo, a D with an eight inside it, surfaced in early September. As the relaunch date was set, more materials have been made public, including a logo with 3D treatment, a press dossier and a launch spot. The result is similar the "Start Here" package produced for ABC in the United States by Troika Design Group back in 2007. Very similar.

Other than the fact the the D8 logo isn't designed by Paul Rand, many of the core elements from ABC's 2007 graphics package have been transitioned to D8. From the 3D treatment of the logo with its reflections and gradients to the virtual environment it inhabits. Even the relaunch promo looks a lot like US network promos of recent years. Update September 28: Incidentally, Troika was also the agency that designed the new D8 package. Two more idents can be viewed here. (Thanks to Arthur for pointing that out).
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New look: VTM

VTM is the largest commercial TV channel in Flanders, the Flemish-speaking part of Belgium. Last month, it introduced a new look to launch the new autumn.

Three agencies were involved in creating the new look, Gédéon created the visual elements, jingle producer Brandy came up with the audio branding and Flexus did strategy.

The social media savvy identity is launched with the new slogan Je beleeft het hier, meaning "You experience it here". The on-air graphics have been designed to include viewer contributions in the form of text messages and videos. Visually, the graphics are inspired by the angles in VTM's logo.
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New logo: CTC

CTC is one of the largest TV networks in Russia, and the most-watched network that isn't owned by the state. This month, on September 15, it launched a new on-screen look along with a completely new logo for the first time in over a decade.

The London office of BDA Creative finalised the new look. The colourful on-air package is said to be built around the tagline "the power of light". Yellow, which has previously been the network's signature colour, is still heavily featured, but is complemented with a full range of bright colours.

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Idents: TCM Europe

Turner Classic Movies launched an high-definition version of its channel in the United Kingdom earlier this month, on September 4. At the same time they introduced a refreshed look across Europe, with idents produced by London motion design agency Flux.

The idents were inspired by locations in classic Hollywood movies and filmed in over 30 locations.
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New logo: Ava

Ava is a Finnish TV channel from Finland's largest commercial broadcaster MTV3 that airs women-oriented programmes. Originally launched in 2008 as a pay channel, it has developed into a free national channel. Recently, it launched a new look, developed in-house at MTV3 by art director Virpi Kunttu.

Viewer participation is an important part of the new look. Pictures and comments can be sent to Ava's website and are then incorporated into the on-screen graphics. There are also logo contests held that allow viewers to send in their own designs to replace the channel logo for a week.

The official logo has been turned into a sketchy doodle. Other parts of the on-screen graphics are beige and minimalist.
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