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In January, BBC America launched a new, complementary icon to complete a redesigned identity for the channel that has brought us little marvels like The Office and Footballers’ Wives to America. Designed by broadcast-specialized agency, mOcean (pronounced “motion”), the new icon is a big, bold, red-white-and-blue “Bulls-A” (get it? Bulls Eye?) that complements the recognizable three-square BBC logo giving the American channel its own personality and attitude with the continued (visual) support of its British counterpart — and lest we forget that, the new tag line is: “A little Brit different”.
The new icon is bold, simple and recognizable; it emphasizes the a-for-America in a digestible way that doesn’t knock you over the head with Americanness; the use of red, white and blue, while obvious, is a perfect element to play up and exploit since it will probably be another 500 years before two countries with the same colors in their flag share a major TV channel; and, while I have never used this as a measurement for succesful identities, BBC America has, absolutely, the best favicon in the whole world wide web. However, the icon may not be entirely original.
The British Royal Air Force has been using the “Roundel” since 1915 and the Mod Lifestyle — simplistically: a bunch of kids in the 1950s and 60s worried about music and clothes in scooters (apologies for the simplification) — appropriated the symbol which then The Who and Ben Sherman marketed to its full potential and became ambassadors to the movement as well as the roundel.
Photo by fedebuelu
Cover of My Favourite Shirt: A History of Ben Sherman Style
Whether all this informed the new BBC America icon remains unclear and undisclosed. And, ultimately, perhaps unperceived by the American audience. Right on target.
Jump to Most Recent Comment
Reed’s comment is:
It's quite a strong logo. But, despite being American, I did immediately get the RAF reference - I find it hard to believe that it didn't prompt the design. That just adds another reason as to why this logo works nicely.
On Mar.11.2007 at 10:28 AM
JonSel’s comment is:
I would hope the RAF allusion is intentional. Those would be some mighty naive brits otherwise. Beautiful, simple mark, easy to understand.
I don't particularly know the BBC very well. The few times I've seen it has mostly revolved around their news channel. Plus, BBC America is hidden away in the high hinterlands of my cable lineup, so I don't ever watch it. The mark is a good start, but it will take a full campaign (and some time) to make people more aware of the channel and the type of programming it offers.
On Mar.11.2007 at 11:39 AM
Dusty’s comment is:
Unless you make the RAF connection, I don't know how you'd get any kind of British connotation out of it. I'm mixed on it. It's striking, but there's nothing about it that clues me in to what the actual product is. Even if I know it's RAF, it's still just sort of an "a" in the center of a target. I guess if it's always going to be used with the existing "BBC America" logo, but then what is the new icon for?
On Mar.11.2007 at 11:39 AM
illovich’s comment is:
Is it fair to note that a logo isn't original if it's component parts are simple geometric forms? At this point it seems much design that doesn't come from an organic sensibility is by nature referencing the past -- because if you don't, you're merely repeating, and everyone knows that quoting is more sophisticated than naively repeating what someone did before you...
=P
On Mar.11.2007 at 11:46 AM
illovich’s comment is:
Is it fair to note that a logo isn't original if it's component parts are simple geometric forms? At this point it seems much design that doesn't come from an organic sensibility is by nature referencing the past -- because if you don't, you're merely repeating, and everyone knows that quoting is more sophisticated than naively repeating what someone did before you...
=P
On Mar.11.2007 at 12:26 PM
Tulse’s comment is:
I too thought the RAF reference was intentional -- surely all Brits (including design firms) recognize it, and it's pretty much the only "British" aspect of the design. That said, while I find the use of the rondel clever, I'm also not sure what it exactly communicates. It doesn't really say anything about the product, or connect it very tightly to the Beeb. It's a striking image, but it could just as easily be used for a British clothier, or some other retro-hip, Cool Britannia product.
On Mar.11.2007 at 12:38 PM
richard’s comment is:
Great mark and smart tagline!
On Mar.11.2007 at 12:42 PM
Kevin M. Scarbrough’s comment is:
It took me a second for it to stick, but when I realized what was going on, I have to say that this is a very smart mark that fits very nicely with the BBC brand. It is absolutely fabulous!
On Mar.11.2007 at 02:13 PM
gillico’s comment is:
The first thing that struck me is that it could be an offshoot of ABC, not the BBC. The 'a' is the exact same typeface, and ABC already has the whole mark enclosed in a circle. For me, that's where the familiarity is, despite having had family in the RAF.
On Mar.11.2007 at 02:40 PM
Lester’s comment is:
I had the same feelings as gillico.
On Mar.11.2007 at 02:47 PM
andrew’s comment is:
I immediately got the RAF reference as well. To say that it isnt recognizable as a brand is a bit naive, seeing as most television station symbols are small and dont tell much about the network. I think it will work well at the bottom of a tv screen.
On Mar.11.2007 at 03:13 PM
Benjamin Jancewicz’s comment is:
Strong logo, awful tagline.
You know, it kinda reminds me of this, though;
10 points for the RAF idea, 0 points for originality.
On Mar.11.2007 at 05:55 PM
Benjamin Jancewicz’s comment is:
Oh, and I might add this:
(and yes, I KNOW the AIF came first. It's just already used)
On Mar.11.2007 at 05:57 PM
Mr. One-Hundred’s comment is:
Strong logo, awful tagline.
Couldn’t agree more! But coming from a studio called mOcean (ugh!)...
Great mark, though I would have like to see the “a” a bit bolder, to make more of the negative space, but it “hits the mark” in every other respect.
On Mar.11.2007 at 07:33 PM
Dan’s comment is:
Armin here is a large list of favicons - Favourite Favicons infact...
The BBC American favicon is a good one, but there are even better examples on this list ;) your bird ain't to bad either :) - It seems like the little 16x16 space is getting more attention as part of the identity outfit!? Otherwise the new 'a roundel' is great in my books. It's also good to see its not overly beveled and filled with gradients- the shots of it in application look great as well.
On Mar.11.2007 at 08:20 PM
derekb’s comment is:
Any anglophile or britlover will recognize the the logo immediately, not only for the RAF but even more for the mod / the who /the jam connection. I don't know what the brief was, or the target-audience. I don't think BBC America wants to reach all American TV viewers, but rather the ones already interested in British culture. And for that, imho the logo is almost perfect.
On Mar.12.2007 at 03:57 AM
Darrel’s comment is:
I thought it was rather bland until I read the whole connection to the RAF and other Brit appropriations of it. In that sense, it works great, but I doubt many American's would see the connection.
That said, I really don't like BBC America. I'd really much rather just have the BBC. ;)
On Mar.12.2007 at 10:08 AM
Tom Dolan’s comment is:
It's a clever mark, badly drawn. Why alter the equal proportions of the original roundel (the rings should be of equal weight)? Rand's "A" is a better "a" — no surprise there really. Why not pick up the single-story lowercase A in the type treatment for 'America'? If this was a student project I'd say concept A, execution B-.
On Mar.12.2007 at 10:48 AM
aj’s comment is:
So what do we get for BBC Canada? same thing with a C instead of an A?
I don't know if BBC Kids used to run on US satellite and cable, but in Canada it's recently been revamped with an aim towards an older demographic as "BBC K", emphasizing the weird/strange/eccentric, Little Britain kind of angle....
On Mar.12.2007 at 12:05 PM
Anonymous’s comment is:
This feels so different from the BBC logo. I get the roundel and the nod to mods, but despite those clear references to British culture, the association seems forced to me.
There doesn't seem to be any real formal resemblance between the parent BBC mark and the new one. The fact that it does share similarities with the ABC logo isn't helping, either.
Tom Dolan; correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the type used in the parent BBC and old mark Gill? The lowercase a is two-story and not geometric. It wouldn't work the same way at all.
On Mar.12.2007 at 12:45 PM
Von K’s comment is:
I'm the anon above. Sorry--forgot to fill in the form.
On Mar.12.2007 at 12:47 PM
Gene Cowan’s comment is:
I think that the BBC in general is heading in the wrong direction with their identity. The real value lies in their three-square logo, which until recently they used consistently across nearly all their outlets; differentiated by color.
The major drawback that I see with the "A" mark is that it emphasizes the wrong aspect of the channel. Rather than emphasize the AMERICA part, they should be pushing the BBC part. After all, we have 500 AMERICAN channels. What makes this one different is that it is British.
In fact, this is a problem with the channel itself: they are trying to make it blend in more with American television when in fact they should be making it MORE British.
Darrel’s comment is:
"Rather than emphasize the AMERICA part, they should be pushing the BBC part."
YES! Well put.
On Mar.12.2007 at 01:33 PM
Dc1974’s comment is:
But they ARE pushing the BBC part. This is immediately recognizable to the anglophiles among us that have been raised on brit pop, shop at Virgin Records, and have made Ben Sherman one of the most successful rejuvenations/ressurections of a brand. And frankly, that IS the BBC America's audience. Footballers Wives isn't going to appeal to a broad audience. And this establishes the BBC-America has a hipster cable channel. A Bravo for the anglophiles. And frankly, I think the tagline is pretty cute. It definitely has the british play on words wit about it.
On Mar.12.2007 at 01:49 PM
Joe Clark’s comment is:
The _a_ doesn't even look like an _a_. The tail, which is the only thing that differentiates it from a circle, is really hard to see.
On Mar.12.2007 at 04:18 PM
Greg Scraper’s comment is:
An ok mark, and probably appropo to the subject matter. The color choices aren't particularly good. The red and blue could be darker, especially the blue. The more I look at it the more I'm convinced that the colors were chosen with MSPaint.
I'm not too fond of using it with the old BBC boxes, either. I mean if you're going to (re?)brand something you have to do it all the way. It seems to say "Hey, we're new and different but really we're just like the old thing that you knew about from somewhere else but now we're here too but we don't think you'll like something that's too much like the thing we are in that other place so we're trying to make it look different without it actually being different." Also, the tagline kind of beats the joke to death by increasing the point size on "Brit." A little too nudge nudge wink wink.
On Mar.12.2007 at 05:16 PM
Erik’s comment is:
I actually thought this was the new Pace logo at first glance.
Erik’s comment is:
I actually thought this was the new Pace logo at first glance.
Scott Perez-Fox’s comment is:
Yes, but remembe the type of Americans who watch this channel in the first place. They are not the same people glued to their seats staring at Wheel of Fortune - they are cultured, and educated and well-to-do (they can afford fancy cable, which is where BBCA is available) and I am willing to bet that the vast majority of them will recognize the icon as a symbol of British pop culture, even if they don't know what is stands for specifically. Americans are dumb, of course, but those who watch BBC have already taken the first steps.
On Mar.13.2007 at 12:34 AM
Scott Perez-Fox’s comment is:
By the way, I am an American who lived in the UK for a while.
On Mar.13.2007 at 12:34 AM
Tom Dolan’s comment is:
Von, yes it's Gill, but I was saying you could depart from the "America" part needing to be Gill. After all, we're thinking outside the box here, aren't we?
On Mar.13.2007 at 08:39 AM
Kevin M. Scarbrough’s comment is:
>>They are cultured, and educated and well-to-do (they can afford fancy cable, which is where BBCA is available) -- Scott Perez-Fox
Everyone I've known who regularly watches BBC America (Welsh former boss, step father from London, wife who was an exchange student in London) watches it for the comedy. Feeling a bit silly, now, I am yeah. :)
On Mar.13.2007 at 09:12 AM
OMEN’s comment is:
If your brand was a person, who would he/she be?...
Von K’s comment is:
Tom, I think I misunderstood--you mean set America in the sans used for the new tagline and use that lowecase a in the mark, yes?
On Mar.13.2007 at 11:52 AM
DesignMaven ’s comment is:
"I think the tagline is pretty cute. It definitely has the british play on words wit about it".
Touche' Dc1974
Great Minds THINK ALIKE!!!!!!!
DM
The Hostiie Takeover of Corporate Identity
Anonymous’s comment is:
"The _a_ doesn't even look like an _a_. The tail, which is the only thing that differentiates it from a circle, is really hard to see." Joe Clarke
That's kind of the whole point though. Its ambiguous so it looks like the roundel - connecting it to British culture and so on.
Are we suppose to ignore this guy??
On Mar.13.2007 at 04:50 PM
Anonymous’s comment is:
I'll be Franc
je l'aime
you see what i did there???
On Mar.13.2007 at 06:12 PM
eric strohl’s comment is:
I think this is a pretty clever mark. The execution is a bit off perhaps, and might be the reason for all the ABC references. Although I can't suggest a better way to deal with the tail of the A.
The more obvious choice would have been to make the outer blue ring the A, rather than the negative space, but maybe that would be too clunky.
On Mar.14.2007 at 01:10 PM
SBG’s comment is:
>>An ok mark, and probably appropo to the subject matter. The color choices aren't particularly good. The red and blue could be darker, especially the blue. The more I look at it the more I'm convinced that the colors were chosen with MSPaint.
Wait until you do see two tv's with the same picture at the same time - you're in for the shock of your life - they're not the same color. "Blue" is about as precise as you can define a color for TV. I'd imagine it's designed to be TV safe ("broadcast legal") colors first, print second.
On Mar.14.2007 at 09:54 PM
anonymoose designer’s comment is:
i like the logo in application on bbca. they always have interesting commercials for the channel and i took note the first time i saw it. my first association when i saw it was the ben sherman logo and after the introduction i had to google the two and compare. the bbca logotype has never really done it for me. i hate gill in allcaps. i imagine eventually they will play more with the idea of using three squares and push away from the type, or maybe update it in some way. the two marks together seem distant and not as cohesive.
On Mar.16.2007 at 01:04 AM
Bjorn’s comment is:
I don't like it at all. Like Benjamin Jancewicz said it looks like abc's logo. The regular BBC logo is great it's simple and easy recognizable, stupid change if you ask me.
To me it looks more like a fake news channel, you know the kind you see on 24 or in video games. It's rubbish :).
On Mar.17.2007 at 03:14 AM
drewdraws2’s comment is:
The new icon might be "bold, simple and recognizable", but it doesn't communicate anything. When I first saw it on BBC America, I thought it was an ad for a new product, not the channel itself. I immediately saw the roundel but didn't make the connection (what's the RAF "A"?), and it still doesn't after watching for a while. Fact is, they are still using the BBC box logo to identify themselves because nobody gets that this is the new logo (if you have to do self-promotion EXPLAINING your new logo is your new logo, it didn't work).
So they went from one clean, instantly recognizable logo to two with conflicting usages. I don't get it.
On Mar.21.2007 at 11:31 AM
Tony Goff’s comment is:
I could have sworn I saw a poster on the London Underground for Transport for London with that logo on it...its going to bug me now if I see it again I'll take a photo.
On Apr.20.2007 at 11:49 AM
Tony Goff’s comment is:
Nope but I did see a sign for estate agents in Balham which looks like so -
On the sign the green also blue...
On Apr.24.2007 at 11:21 AM
Tony Goff’s comment is:
Aha found it, that was starting to bug me -
In an add for London Underground.
On Apr.28.2007 at 07:36 PM
Dave Ryan’s comment is:
I guess people were getting confused about it -- the new logo is completely gone now. The bumpers have changed to butterflies, daisy fields, and just the BBC AMERICA logo now broken to two lines. Like some have said before, emphasize the BBC part, or change the name to UKTV, which makes a lot more sense.
On Jun.10.2007 at 12:42 PM
mondayne’s comment is:
There is no way that this isn't influenced from the RAF roundel. It's that shape that makes it British, because the mod's used (and still do use it). That symbol is everywhere in London. By changing the roundel to have an A in it is clever enough, but that's beside the point.
There is no way it's not referenced. There's no reason for it not to be. It works because it is a reference.
On Oct.03.2007 at 02:29 PM
billy bob’s comment is:
The Who logo is backwrds idiots
On Dec.14.2008 at 07:59 PM
Mongoose’s comment is:
I think everyone's covered the roundel aspect well. The RAF connection and the Mod connection, and it's as Brit as Icon as you'll get without seeing the Tower of London or the Union Jack flag. Maybe Prince Harry, but let's skip him for logos for now.
I think the 'a' is really well-balanced between the red and blue, too. It's a bit off-proportion from the 'classic' roundel, but too thick of white and you'd have to break the blue of the outer line.
It gets, predictably, an 'a'. The logo says Brit, hints cutely at America, that's BBC America. Where the better Kitchen Nightmares is shown!
On Dec.15.2008 at 07:43 PM
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