Channel 4 has revealed its rebrand as it brings all its digital, social, and linear channels together under one single brand as All 4 becomes ‘Channel 4’.
Channel 4 commissioned design consultancy Pentagram to collaborate with its in-house creative agency 4creative to develop a new cohesive brand identity.
The new design identity stretches across all of Channel 4’s streaming and linear services “to help audiences easily recognise and find their favourite content and programmes from the channel.”
As a starting point, Channel 4’s iconic blocks have been brought back together after eight years apart, placing the channel’s iconic Lambie-Nairn ‘4’ logo back at its heart.
Pentagram and 4creative have reimagined the 4 as a companion to viewers to guide them through Channel 4’s ‘Altogether Different’ content universe. The brand’s touchpoints are anchored by a vibrant green ‘4’, reflecting the “alternative” spirit of the channel, which navigates the viewer through a wider colour system of immersive gradients and worlds “that reflect the rich diversity of Channel 4 content.” A new iconographic language featuring a set of ‘4mojis’ has also been devised to help “give the brand a sense of mischief in even the most functional of communications.”
Lynsey Atkin, Executive Creative Director at 4creative, said: “It has been a privilege to work with the team at Pentagram to create a new identity for Britain’s most visually progressive broadcaster. Bringing back our iconic logo and putting it front and centre, amongst a modern and vibrant system made distinct through colour, motion, and typography, gives us the consistency necessary in today’s visually noisy world, whilst still allowing us the creative spirit inherent within the Channel 4 brand. After many, many months of work we’re delighted to see it out in the world, helping us be Altogether Different now and into the future.”
Luke Powell, Partner and Creative Director at Pentagram said: “The ask to work on a brand that is inherently rebellious and unapologetically creative, but also in need of cohesion and clarity across its channels and platforms, could seem contradictory. However, embracing this duality, the masterbrand system we’ve created unifies where it needs to, but encourages expression the rest of the time. Channel 4 is now set up with a principles-based system that can guide outputs across all of their shows, channels, collections and partnerships today, as well as preparing it for a rapidly evolving and unpredictable future.”
To help deliver Channel 4’s new look, 4creative and Pentagram worked with motion design specialists Found, and digital experts Stink Studios to bring the brand identity to life across all of Channel 4’s platforms. To complement the visuals, a new audio identity has been created by Factory and SIREN.
Continuing Channel 4’s brand transformation, the broadcaster will soon unveil a series of brand-new idents later this summer. Using an infinite loop, they are designed “as an inclusive system that welcomes diversity of expression – a reflection of modern Britain and a tapestry of how we live now.”
Credits
Agency 4creative
Executive Creative Director Lynsey Atkin
Deputy Executive Creative Director Chris Wood
Deputy Executive Creative Director Lambros Charalambous
Head of Design Rob Boon
Managing Director Katie Jackson
Executive Producer Louise Oliver
Senior Project Manager John Trevor
Senior Producer Lauren Holden
Junior Producer Jazz Stradling
Junior Project Manager Lucy Newbold
Production Assistant Emily Jacob
Client Channel 4
Chief Marketing Officer Zaid Al-Qassab
Marketing Director Amber Kirby
Head of Brand Transformation Matt Berry
Rebrand Director Mat Heinl
Programme Director Ying Miller
Experience Design Lead Matt Wade
Marketing Lead, Brand Transformation Simi Murthy
Marketing Executive, Brand Transformation Lana Camp
Design System
Created by Pentagram in collaboration with 4creative
Pentagram
Design team
Luke Powell – Partner and Creative Director
Jody Hudson-Powell – Partner and Creative Director
Jack Llewellyn – Associate Partner and Designer
Alice Sherwin – Designer
Luis Gutierrez – Technical Director and 3D/Motion Designer
Nav Bhatia – Associate Partner and Producer
Strategy team
Naresh Ramchandani – Partner and Creative Director
Ashley Johnson – Associate Partner, Brand Narrative
Isla Wickham – Project Manager
Kate Heller – Project Manager
Zoë Gibson Quirk – Strategist
Robyn Cusworth – Writer
NaN.xyz
Channel 4 Typeface re-Mastered and Extended
On Screen Presentation (OSP)
Created by Found in collaboration with 4creative and Pentagram
Found
Creative Direction Jack Seymour
Clayton Welham
Production Sophia Georgiou
Designers Kiril Trashliey
Nicole Peterson
Andrea Marshall
Ambro Bergamaschi
João Lucas
Additional credits 4creative
Creative Director Landy Slattery
Senior Producer Chloe Roberts
Time Based Arts (pitch and opticals)
Ian Baird
Mike Battcock
Nick Smalley
Ria Shroff
Stephen Ross
Tom Johnson
Tom Robinson
Sean Ewins
Mike Skrgatic
Social
Created by STINK in collaboration with 4creative and Pentagram
Additional credits 4creative
Digital Creative Director Christos Savvides
Digital Creative Chris Rice
Digital Creative Greg Carter
Director James Henry
Senior Producer Paul Gleeson
Sonic
Created by Factory and SIREN in collaboration with 4creative and Pentagram
Factory
Composer and Creative Director Anthony Moore
Producer Beth Massey
SIREN
Music Supervisor & Creative Director Sian Rogers
OOH
Created by Pentagram in collaboration with 4creative
Jon Creamer
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