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BBC's New Logo

Started by Blumf, October 25, 2021, 12:42:58 PM

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Blumf

What? Another one? It's only been... 24 years?... oh.

Apparently the BBC looks "old fashioned" and "out of date", so they needed the refresh.

Anyway, it's gone from this:



to

.
.
.

<drum roll>

.
.
.

This!



That's a new special font 'Reith'[nb]Download here[/nb]

There's also some new logos for their services, like iPlayer, which all look fine, it's fine.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-58970323

Why do they always have to change things!?

Midas


Butchers Blind

Your TV licence at work there.

Cloud

If anything like where I work, the old logo will now be seen as THE DEVIL INCARNATE and must be banished from all things instantly at any cost

mothman

The letters look the same, just...


Butchers Blind


mothman

- A "P" for player, or - more likely - the Play button?
- A megaphone, or a stylised sound wave?
- Lanes on an athletic track?
- Sun rays?
- No idea. Books on a shelf?

Blumf

The 'Sport' one works for me, not only lanes, but also a bar chart for stats.

As for the main logo, well I miss the RGB colour bars from the very old logo, and wish they'd managed to bring that influence back somehow. Also, a bigger difference from the previous logo would help justify the expense.

gilbertharding

I totally get that things like graphics need design. I get that they need to be 'refreshed' from time to time. I get that designers need paying (I am a designer).

I don't get where they get these (doubtless inaccurate, but still) figures for how much it all (apparently) costs. I'm in the wrong business.

Midas

They look clumsy and unbalanced to me.

Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth

I am a graphic designer and I'm torn between wishing I could charge pisstaking amounts for my work and feeling like I'd lose all self respect if I did (although I would still like a payrise).

I think the sports one would work better as the Sounds logo. Just turn it sideways and it would look like the level indicators you get on a stereo. The actual Sounds one would look better if the largest block wasn't so wide. Ultimately though, the point of a logo is to identify, not describe. The majority of the most iconic logos have nothing to do with the products they are put on. This one, for example, doesn't sell fruit:


gilbertharding

I read a blog a while ago which revealed that the shape and position of the bite was a result of the original logo and typeface - in fact the only legacy of that type face.

Although from what you posted it seems that they've maybe redesigned the shape of the bite.


Cloud

If ever they go for ruggedised equipment they should redesign it to have actual teeth grooves

olliebean

There's actually a very good reason for the change of the main logo. Essentially they've switched from a font they were having to pay royalties on, to a font they own, so even after the cost of the redesign it'll save them loads of money.

Those sub-logos, with the three blocks, though? Absolute gash. The weather one is the only one that even vaguely represents what it's supposed to. I guess they've probably changed the font on those as well - if so, they're not entirely pointless - but the graphics are rubbish.

Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth

I do prefer the new BBC logo. The more symmetrical B looks neater within the squares. From experience, I expect most people probably wouldn't even notice, much less give a toss.

Quote from: gilbertharding on October 25, 2021, 02:57:52 PM
I read a blog a while ago which revealed that the shape and position of the bite was a result of the original logo and typeface - in fact the only legacy of that type face.

Although from what you posted it seems that they've maybe redesigned the shape of the bite.


I read it was for scale, because they thought the apple would otherwise be mistaken for a cherry.

Norton Canes

Quote from: olliebean on October 25, 2021, 03:21:39 PM
Those sub-logos, with the three blocks, though? Absolute gash. The weather one is the only one that even vaguely represents what it's supposed to. I guess they've probably changed the font on those as well - if so, they're not entirely pointless - but the graphics are rubbish

It's not about the quality of the sub-logos, though - it's just a way to unite the services and departments they represent under a unified house style

QDRPHNC

The Bs look slightly off-centre to me.

gilbertharding

Quote from: olliebean on October 25, 2021, 03:21:39 PM
There's actually a very good reason for the change of the main logo. Essentially they've switched from a font they were having to pay royalties on, to a font they own, so even after the cost of the redesign it'll save them loads of money.

I knew this - but thought that 'Reith' the font had been designed and adopted ages ago (*checks* 2018)... so have they only just started using it for the logo? Wow.

Like I say, I'm a designer myself. I design buildings. Actual buildings made of concrete and steel and timber which rarely take three years to design and build. I suppose we have fewer meetings, mind.

studpuppet

They reason they do it is so that if you're watching a repeat, you know exactly what decade it was made in. Surprisingly the last two managed to last nearly twenty years each.

"Well done the BBC - another winner!"

Sixties:


Seventies:



Eighties/Nineties:



Whateverthefuckyoucallthelasttwodecades:


Uncle TechTip

The sub logos are good, I wonder if they are animated and don't look so good when static. The sport one clearly evokes the current sport look with yellow bars on the captions everywhere.


Midas

When audiences told the corporation its services looked "old-fashioned" and "out of date", do we think they literally meant the style guide being used or might they mean the "content" itself and the way its presented?

Quote from: Blumf on October 25, 2021, 12:42:58 PM
That's a new special font 'Reith'

Spoiler alert
Hi Reith
[close]

Shit Good Nose

And yet they've still stuck with Big Black Cock.  You'd have thought they might change that in the current climate.

dr beat

Player, sounds and weather look ok. Not a fan of sport, couldn't they have arranged three rectangles in the style of an Olympic medal podium ie 1st, 2nd, 3rd?

Ferris

Quote from: QDRPHNC on October 25, 2021, 04:27:28 PM
The Bs look slightly off-centre to me.

I'd guess the lower half of the B (which is slightly more prominent) is the same number of pixels from the right of the box as the back of the B is to the left of the box.

...which is probably technically accurate? But definitely makes it look slightly out of line because the tangent line of one small curve on one letter has less "weight" than the full height solid line, but I'm not a designer worthy of being hired by the beeb so what do I know.

It's a shame the BBC's branding literally expired and therefore had to be replaced by something largely indistinguishable (and at presumably great cost), but as I say once all copies of your branding bursts into flames then it is only sensible to pay an extortionate amount to replace it. Oh it didn't spontaneously combust? And is all still in place and basically fine (or at least, as fine as the new stuff is)? Well then let me be the first to say WHY HAVE THEY FUCKING BOTHERED.

mothman

QuoteThat's a new special font 'Reith'

So we're all going to sarcastically call it 'Reir'?

M-CORP

The timing of all this is a little suspect. The designer of the last BBC logo (Martin Lambie-Nairn) only died last Christmas. Nothing against them changing the logo, just looks a bit odd with the extra space and new font, after so many years of it being a certain proportion with no dead space whatsoever. Most people don't seem to have noticed though. Even though both old and new logo are currently being used interchangeably, in a very awkward transitional phase.

QDRPHNC

Quote from: FerriswheelBueller on October 25, 2021, 06:37:33 PM
I'd guess the lower half of the B (which is slightly more prominent) is the same number of pixels from the right of the box as the back of the B is to the left of the box.

...which is probably technically accurate? But definitely makes it look slightly out of line because the tangent line of one small curve on one letter has less "weight" than the full height solid line, but I'm not a designer worthy of being hired by the beeb so what do I know.

Yeah, it's technically centred, but they need to be bumped to the right very slightly to look comfortable to the eye.