• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, July 24, 2007

Under a new CEO and looking to re-brand to attract younger viewers, the Discovery Channel has tapped Los Angeles agency 72andSunny to serve as a creative force behind the initiative. The re-brand with new tagline is expected to hit the air as part of off-air marketing efforts starting in October.

The move comes after a two-month review process. 72andSunny will oversee ad duties for the channel in the U.S. along with the Discovery in-house operations.

"This partnership will launch the network into a very exciting new space and complement our powerful all-original content," said Dan Bragg, vice president and creative director at the Discovery Channel.

72andSunny executive Glenn Cole said the Discovery Channel is "willing to take chances." The agency aims to upgrade marketing to reflect what he referred to as the network's "culturally iconic status."

Discovery said it will look to the agency to kick-start a connection with younger and tech-savvy audiences. Discovery had a prime-time median age of 38, down from 42 a year ago, during the recent season, according to a Magna Global report.

Discovery's eponymous parent late last year named David Zaslav as its new CEO--formerly of NBC Universal, which operates the USA Network, an initial client of 72andSunny when it launched in 2004.

The network offers programming such as "Deadliest Catch" and "Dirty Jobs."

72andSunny also represents Comcast's G4 network and other brands targeting a young-skewing audience, such as And 1 and Microsoft's Zune.