• by Limore Shur , November 3, 2010

Just about everybody in the entertainment business thinks its branding should either be entertaining (branding as content) or integrated into content so viewers don't skip the messaging. If you let people know where they're at and what's up next efficiently, you'll have room to add another dimension. If that added dimension engages the viewer while it articulates the brand, you've got successful network branding.

We like to think of good design as a graceful gesture -- keeping in mind that sometimes, an awkward honesty is the most graceful and emotive move you can make.

A graceful gesture encapsulates and conveys all your intent. Good brand design is a concentration of an engaging voice and clear messaging into a fully integrated gesture the viewer absorbs directly. It's engaging when the viewer has an immediate reaction, when they find themselves in the midst of a conversation, say with a network, and they feel motivated to contribute. The branding for Cartoon's Network's Adult Swim totally nails this.

With the absolute saturation of media in our lives, people are increasingly drawn to networks that offer more than entertainment; but they still want to be entertained. The shock and awe of branding that's historically associated with entertainment is a great primer for a complete surrender to spectacle, the classic entertainment big-screen experience.

However, too many searchlights and architectural grandeur can be read as indulgence. Viewers are looking for help, guides to learning and social connection. And they want to receive that guidance in an entertaining fashion. That is how we approached the PBS and HGTV rebrands.

For PBS, our design was inspired by the archetype of the explorer. Creating design that sought a balanced of celebration and facilitation. Celebration being the entertainment side of the equation, the wonder and exhilaration of exploration, and facilitation being the personal-growth side, broadening your perspective and exploring how far you can go.

With HGTV, it was all about design that suggests and facilitates a platform, as opposed to an institution. It's engaging and entertaining because the stars of the network are letting us in, inviting our participation. We shot hours of interview footage and playful b-roll of HGTV's stars, opening up and being goofy. We used this material to create star IDs that worked as mini-interviews, as content that carries the voice of the network.

We focused our design on the gable, a triangle with an elongated base, as a strong graphic conceit. It suggests every attribute that HGTV is going for. It's iconic, immediately connected with home, shelter, support and nurture. The simplicity and strength of that form is a great signifier for an open, efficient organization.

We also designed a gable box, an easy-to- use tool for adding a layer of communication that was still tied to the network's icon. It's working well as a device that can be placed over show footage, or talent footage. Plus, with scripting tools, it's quick and easy to update the copy.

What it does is create a conversation that keeps the viewer in the moment and builds an anticipation of where the conversation is going. It's a very effective counter move to the issues of DVR recording. If you can keep viewers engaged in the moment with content that carries them through the break, they are less likely to press fast-forward.