Success and failures of TV idents Updated

Success and Failures of TV idents

Before and after most shows we will watch an ident, most of the time this ident will give us lots of information about the channel sometimes without us even realising it. A successful ident is one which is easily recognisable and distinctive and works well to complete its purpose whether that may be to inform or entertain its target audience.

BBC One: 1991 Ident

This is one of BBC Ones less successful idents as out of the majority of BBC 1 idents, this is one of the less memorable which was only used for a few years, it was first shown in February 1991. The ident features a rotating swirling globe with the number 1 in the middle, along with the BBC logo which was current at the time, positioned at bottom of the frame. 

Firstly one of the main reasons as to why this ident was not a success could of been the colouring. The colours associated with the BBC are warmer colours such as red and yellow/orange. However, within this ident the colours are dominantly colder blues and black. This could be a reason as to why the ident was not a success as it was not as distinctive as the other BBC logos and due to this it was not as easily recognised meaning it did not fully serve its purpose as an ident. Also the overall composition of the ident is not very visually pleasing as the colouring and animations do not work well together. On the other hand the ident does not tell us much about the channels personality, we can gain some understanding from the globe that the channel brings the world together and is very universal however the dark cold cloudy atmosphere suggests that the channel is not as warm and family orientated as BBC 1 actually is. 

Here is one of Channel 4's less successful idents. These square themed idents lasted from 1999 until 2004, and consisted of rectangular shapes of different tones travelling across the screen with the Channel 4 logo rotating across the frame, stopping in its final position on the right hand side. These idents all had the same animation, the only thing that varied was the colours in the background, the Channel 4 logo stayed white throughout. Channel 4's dominant colour is blue, but in this series of idents the colour varied meaning that the channel could not be assigned to one colour that makes the channel instantly distinctive and recognised by that colour. Also Channel 4 is an entertainment based channel, and the ident should represent this to inform the viewers and make them aware of the personality of the channel, however the overall look of the ident is quite simple and boring which does not really create the messages Channel 4 is trying to present to its target audience meaning the ident is not very successful. 

This is one of Blightys idents, the ident itself is based on the theme of tea as the channel is a very British channel and tea is stereotypically a very British thing. In the variations of the idents the theme changes but remains to be something stereotypical to Britain, the colour scheme also changes throughout the idents with the colours remaining as very contrasting colours e.g. green and pink however there is no clear relevance to the theme of the ident. 

Some reasons why these idents may not be very successful could be due to the density of information within the ident. In every variation of the ident there is simply too much happening at once for it to be enjoyable and entertaining to watch. And for a duration of 23 seconds over time the ident becomes extremely boring and repetitive to watch meaning it will not be able to maintain the target audience an they could be likely to turn to another channel. Although the ident does present Blightys personality it could have been more precise and show other aspects of the channel such as what they broadcast to make it more informative while maintaining the entertaining aspect of the ident. This could be done through the colour scheme being red white and blue the emphasise that the channel is extremely British and maybe quick clips of the shows in the background or even the characters being in the ident itself.   

This is one of BBC Ones more successful idents, it features a group of hippos swimming in a circle formation with red rotating shapes around the BBC One logo. The ident is successful as it maintains the BBCs main concepts such as the colour red, and the consistent theme of circles which has appeared in almost every ident they have ever made. Also the current BBC One ident has a very short duration, making it very entertaining to watch because it does not last long you do not get so bored of it. The BBC are also world famous for producing their high quality nature documentaries meaning an ident such as this is very representative of that aspect of the BBC. The ident creates a message that the BBC are very professional and put time, effort and money into their idents, meaning that they also put this into their shows which is evident from the programs featured on the BBC as well as their series of high quality idents.

This is one of Channel 4's more successful series of idents which are currently in use today and can easily recognised. It consists of a field with lots of burning hay stacks which align as the camera passes through the environment to reveal the Channel 4 logo. These idents with the objects forming the Channel 4 logo have been used since 2004 and are easily recognised as they are very distinctive and unique to Channel 4. Although there is no consistent colour scheme which is what is seen in most successful idents, Channel 4's idents have multiple colours due to the location altering so that they can produce new creative ways of the logo being formed, the location is usually set in an American environment with a mixture of urban and natural landscapes. This represents the channel as Channel 4 broadcasts a mixture of American and British shows and means that although the ident has no consistent colour scheme the ident and channel are still easily recognisable.

This is one of Dave's successful idents which was introduced along with the re-branding of the channel which was equally a great success. Dave became the 'home of witty banter' which is clearly presented through the style and context from within this ident. For example, Dave is a very British channel and this is represented by the stereotypical British scenery in which this ident is set. Also, the viewer is instantly placed in an environment which is creative and abstract and enjoyable to be which is shown through the unusual use of props such as the very out of fashion hat, and the chandelier being used a s a swing across the river. These all clearly give an insight into the adventurous and witty personality of the channel, which is what an ident is supposed to do therefore making this a successful ident.