Streaming's at Heart of All 4's Dynamic Rebrand
04.01.2019
Streaming is literally at the center of London-based DixonBaxi's rebrand of Channel 4's streaming service, All 4. The agency undertook the rebrand in collaboration with Channel 4's in-house creative service, 4creative.
As Channel 4's companion video-on-demand streaming brand, All 4 offers Channel 4 programming as well as E4, Film4, More4, 4Music, Walter Presents and shorts. The service was launched strictly as a VOD service in 2006 and has since evolved into a streaming platform.
The rebrand of All 4 takes Channel 4's existing logo and cleverly makes just a few simple changes: it turns the horizontal bar into a streaming bar, adds an implied "play" button and highlights the new additions in the brand's new signature citrus and teal colors. Below is Channel 4's old logo compared to a refreshed version that the channel starting using in 2015. The 4 has been used as Channel 4's logo since 1982 when the channel got its start.
Here's DixonBaxi's final refreshed look for All 4:
"4creative came up with the core creative idea of placing a streaming bar at the center of the Channel 4 logo to promote the invigorated All 4 service," said Tim Fellowes, design director, 4creative, in an email. "We needed a design and motion graphics partner to help us bring it to life and we latched on to the ingenious simplicity and reductive quality of DixonBaxi's solution for the All 4 logo, a streaming bar made of nothing more than the Channel 4 blocks, highlighted in yellow and turquoise.
"With the All 4 rebrand we now have a fantastic new logo that feels both contemporary and timeless, rooted in the Channel 4 master brand while clearly signaling that All 4 is the channel's digital service. It brings a freshness to the product, feels youthful, premium and nods to the improved user experience."
Once the new logo was established, DixonBaxi applied it to other considerations. The agency chose the lemon and teal colors to distinguish All 4 both from other Channel 4 brands as well as other competitor brands, such as the hot pink that characterizes BBC's iPlayer and Netflix's true red.
"We wanted a color scheme that was very attributable to the brand," said Dan Capstick, creative director, DixonBaxi. "We needed to find something that didn't clash or compete with any of the other digital channel identities."
Capstick wanted All 4 to be identifiable at a glance, as well as become indelible.
"Channel 4 as a brand carries a certain edginess. It has a personality that is unafraid," Capstick said. "I think that allowed us to select colors that are acidic, zingy and challenging."
DixonBaxi dug into the Channel 4 vaults to find a new font, and what it came up with is actually a largely unused version of the existing font. Years ago, famed font designer Neville Brody created Channel 4's brand font, which is still in use today. But one strain of it - 4 Text Extra Bold Italic - had barely been touched by the parent brand. DixonBaxi found it and saw an opportunity.
This version of the font has a "chunky, bold presence" that DixonBaxi thought could be used to make "big, bold, simple statements."
"We supplemented it with type that can be used over body copy, so it's not used exclusively everywhere," said Capstick.
All those choices made, DixonBaxi turned the streaming bar into a creative concept that sits at the core of the service's new motion graphics package that 4creative can convert into promos, bumpers, interstitials, lower thirds and more as needed.
DixonBaxi also adapted the brand look to live across All 4's social and digital platforms and gave 4creative a tool kit so the team could adapt the rebrand to its purposes.
"What is great about working with 4creative is that they are a creative agency as well," said Capstick. "It's a really collaborative process with lots of conversations and mutual pushing to develop the brand all the way."