BBC Three defends ‘bold’ new logo as it ushers in digital era

Ahead of the BBC Three’s move to become an online-only channel on 16 February the brand revealed its new logo today (4 January), with BBC’s head of marketing Nikki Carr strongly defending the bright pink emblem.

BBC Three new logo

The BBC will be rolling out a brand new visual identity across BBC Three – the TV channel, on BBC iPlayer, on bbc.co.uk as well as on its apps. The brand announced in November last year that the BBC Three TV channel will be switched off by February, acknowledging that more young people watch TV online.

Speaking in a company blog post, the brand’s head of marketing Nikki Carr said the visual identity brings new BBC Three together with a new logo, TV idents, animations and on screen presentation, as well as a new colour pallet. The brand wants the new icon to work equally as well on a TV as it does on a smartphone or tablet.

She says: “This visual identity will underpin what we do in the future. What is most striking is the new logo and the fact it doesn’t actually say three.

“It’s easy to belittle the importance a logo has in supporting a brand, and I’m sure the usual critics will have their say – “It looks like Adidas”, “it looks like a “hamburger menu icon,” “it doesn’t even say three”, “are they Roman numerals” – but If I’m being honest I’m not worried.

“Some people are resistant to change and we wanted to be bold and create something that looks forward and will be around for years to come.”

Nikki Carr, head of marketing, BBC Three

BBC Three’s logo hasn’t changed in eight years, which is why Carr sought to alter the logo so it “fits the digital world, not something analogue just shoehorned into it.”

Carr explains: “We needed to develop something that worked on a TV screen and as an app icon. Look at Snapchat. They’re doing okay without having Snapchat in their logo.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNxvV4d26q8

BBC Three is also making changes to its budget, as it is planning to spend 20% on different types of content – ranging from blogs, animation and short form clips to picture led stories.

“And for the first time this will be daily, delivered to you via new products we will launch soon. In the future we will still have the same amount of long form TV but a raft of new digital content as well. Content produced by us, by partners in news and sport and by production companies,” Carr concluded.

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