Author: John Beohm

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American TV Videos: Idents

Left wing or right wing? MSNBC leans forward.

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UPDATE: Fox News have responded with their own “Move Forward” spots.

American cable news network MSNBC recently unveiled a new slogan and brand positioning. Directed by Spike Lee, these new spots ask us to Lean Forward, and suggests that the “the future belongs to the fearless”.

Conceptually its a poignant and aspirational message, likely to be identifiable to those generally offended by Fox News. And while Jon Stewart isn’t thrilled with it, it’s hard not to like the idea, with comparisons to Think Different sure to arise.

Unfortunately I’m not sure the execution of these two promos, filled with stock footage and web clips live up to the gravity of the message trying to be conveyed.

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Web Asides

Mad Men theme with lyrics.

The Mad Men theme with lyrics.

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Videos: TV

The man who walked around the world.

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For reasons I can’t entirely explain I find nothing quite as exciting as a good long take, whether its a trip through Russian history, or some college kids making a lip dub.

You can add to that mixed bag this masterful new commercial for Johnnie Walker, featuring actor Robert Carlyle delivering a five minute monologue about the history of the famous whiskey while walking through the Scottish countryside captured in one continuous take on the 40th attempt.

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Nine Network Seven Network Videos: Idents

One for the ladies, one for the fellas.

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Gem from the Nine Network, and 7mate from the Seven Network both launched over the weekend, although not in that order.

Long before digital multichannelling got too interesting in Australia I pondered how the commercial networks would approach the tricky task of extending their brands to multiple channels. Channel 4 have done a great job naming their portfolio of channels under the “4” brand, while the UKTV group have adopted individual brands for each of their many channels.

These two approaches are currently playing out in Australia, with the Seven Network now extending its brand name and logo to 7two and 7mate, while Channel Nine has launched Go! and Gem. Personally I think the impending launch of Eleven is the best branding we’ve seen on a commercial multichannel yet, but that said I’m pretty hot for any branding Channel Ten comes up with.

As for this weekend Gem looks pretty and is a nice start, although perhaps something you might see on an inflight channel, 7mate on the other hand is less a brand and more of a punchline, so lets just say neither of them bowled me over.

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Web Asides

The Girl Effect.

Profound message, beautifully conveyed.

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European TV Videos: Idents

Everything’s the same except the name.

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British network Virgin 1 launched in 2007 as the flagship general entertainment channel of the newly rebranded Virgin Media (formerly NTL Telewest).

However with Virgin Media offloading its channel group to British Sky Broadcasting earlier this year, the new owners decided to ditch the Virgin brand (perhaps understandably from their point of view) and relaunch it as simply Channel One.

Before, after and during videos above.

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ABC1 Videos: Idents

Enter the Lissajous.

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Encapsulating the scope and relevance of the national broadcaster is the goal of this new brand campaign, and having people jump into the embrace of the ABC’s famous lissajous is the approach they’ve taken.

Beautifully produced and visually distinct these new spots have the unenviable challenge of trying to represent an organisation with as much history and depth as the ABC, something any thirty second promo will struggle to achieve.

Created by Sydney agency Moon.

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American TV Videos: Broadcast News

An American Breakfast.

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Breakfast television was invented in the United States, and continues to frustrate, entertain, inform and provide moving wallpaper to millions everyday.

Three network broadcasts dominate the genre, and all three are broadcast from New York City. The Today Show from NBC defined the genre in 1952, followed by Good Morning America from ABC in 1975 and the latest attempt from CBS in the form of the Early Show in 1999.

I’m still waiting for Aaron Sorkin to dramatize the world of morning television, but until then I guess we’ll have to keep tuning into the real thing.

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Web Asides

The NBC Peacock.

How the NBC peacock got its feathers.

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ABC News 24 Videos: Broadcast News

The first hour of ABC News 24.

newswipe

> Download The First Hour of ABC News 24 (448mb *.zip)

The long awaited ABC News 24 has launched. Download the first hour of broadcast and watch as Australia was introduced to its first free-to-air news channel.