ITN has updated its brand for the first time in decades, signalling its evolution from legacy British news organisation to a global player in news, factual, sports, education and branded content.
The new brand positioning, narrative and visual identity has been headed up by agency partners Rudd Studio and Undivided. It replaces ITN’s static logo from the 1970s with a new animated logo which responds to its environment, reinforcing ITN’s reputation for innovation; its ability to reflect changing audience needs and its more varied portfolio.
Founded in 1955, ITN has built a reputation for producing independent journalism by providing news programmes, current affairs series and digital services across the ITV network, Channel 4 and Channel 5.
ITN’s business is now made up of seven distinct divisions – Business, Education, Newsrooms (ITV News, Channel 4 News and 5 News), News Production, Post Production, Productions, and Sport. ITN’s output ranges from the World Athletics Championships to documentaries and popular factual series for the major UK and international broadcasters and streaming platforms, as well as education programming, short-form content and hybrid events for charities and businesses; while ITN’s 60-edit suite facility supports all video and audio post-production. In addition, the ITN Archive features more than a million video clips of news footage from ITN’s first broadcasts in 1955 to the present day.
The old ITN logo, with its linked letter forms, has been in place since 1970 and seen only minor changes, making it one of the longest standing logos in UK broadcasting. ITN’s new brand identity is built around a newly defined purpose and a new strapline – “Truth to Life”.
ITN ceo Rachel Corp said: “Our challenge was to pay homage to our powerful legacy as a trusted, impartial news provider, at the same time as rearticulating who we are and what we stand for today. We homed in on how we are a purpose-driven organisation with a mission to bring ‘truth to life’ and put people at the heart of everything we do. This resonates across all parts of ITN and creates a distinctive and future-facing business proposition with a clear ethos.”
Stefan Terry, strategy director at Undivided, said: “ITN made its name by telling true stories with more emotional intelligence and impact. It’s something that’s even more important today than it was back in the 50s and it’s clear from working with ITN’s people that the mission to ‘bring the truth to life’ still drives them. As a positioning, it shows how seriously they take their role as a truth-teller, and it sets them apart as a brand that can create magnetic, factual content for all kinds of audiences – from Channel 4 current affairs viewers to true crime lovers on Amazon Prime.”
Matthew Rudd, creative director at Rudd Studio, said: “We knew we needed to reflect the responsive, emotional intelligence that makes ITN special but, at the same time, we didn’t want to walk away from decades of rock-solid news heritage.
“We decided to build the new logo around the original, simple ITN letterforms to signal a continued dedication to accuracy and impartiality. But this time we set free the rigid, angular line around the letters so that it can move and respond to stimulus like a living cell.
“It’s a way of showing how ITN constantly evolves and connects with different audiences without undermining its commitment to the truth.”
Pippa Considine
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