An
ident is a station identity clip; a short clip played between programmes -
usually integrating the channels logo and accompanied by a continuity announcer
who announces the upcoming shows. It is a integral part of the
branding of the TV channel it is on, essentially giving the viewer an extract
of what the channel is all about. Idents, sometimes called stings (shorter
idents showed when there's a tight schedule), evolved from animation to
mechanical models, such as the BBC's globe, which underwent change through to
CGI and film through the 1980s and 1990s.
When
idents were first introduced in the 60s, channels tended to use one variation
throughout the day, with special versions used during holidays and for special
events. The latest ITV rebrand includes 15 brand new idents, which air on
rotation each day!
As technology advances, so do idents. They have evolved from simple black and white images to the intricate, creative and colourful short films we see today. The very first ident, featured above, televised in 1953 from the BBC was a spinning contraption, filmed. The channels most famous emblem, the globe, appeared first in 1963. The third image depicts the BBC's ident at the launch of BBC One (formerly just the BBC) in 1964. It also includes the globe on a white background to portray the BBC as a globally significant channel, and indicate unity. The globe has remained a continuous attribute to the BBC, which in more recent idents has been simplified to a circle. The modern BBC idents usually have some correlation between the program that is about to be aired, or relate to significant events of the time. For example, this snowy ident was aired in the winter (a seasonal ident) and the hippo ident could have possibly been aired before a wildlife documentary.
The purpose of an ident is to package its channel, wrap it up and define it, simultaneously making it stand out against other channels. Considering the ever-growing medium television and its cross over with the internet ('Smart TV' is set to hit UK 100% by 2015) there is a large number of channels available, and these channels want the consumer to buy in to them, making competition and the need to attract attention and engage their audience even greater. It is especially vital for commercial channels to connect with their audience so their audience share increases and they can attract advertisers. As well as the initial business reasons they exist to provide information about upcoming channels, and entertain their viewers. After all, no one would watch something if it was boring.
As technology advances, so do idents. They have evolved from simple black and white images to the intricate, creative and colourful short films we see today. The very first ident, featured above, televised in 1953 from the BBC was a spinning contraption, filmed. The channels most famous emblem, the globe, appeared first in 1963. The third image depicts the BBC's ident at the launch of BBC One (formerly just the BBC) in 1964. It also includes the globe on a white background to portray the BBC as a globally significant channel, and indicate unity. The globe has remained a continuous attribute to the BBC, which in more recent idents has been simplified to a circle. The modern BBC idents usually have some correlation between the program that is about to be aired, or relate to significant events of the time. For example, this snowy ident was aired in the winter (a seasonal ident) and the hippo ident could have possibly been aired before a wildlife documentary.
The purpose of an ident is to package its channel, wrap it up and define it, simultaneously making it stand out against other channels. Considering the ever-growing medium television and its cross over with the internet ('Smart TV' is set to hit UK 100% by 2015) there is a large number of channels available, and these channels want the consumer to buy in to them, making competition and the need to attract attention and engage their audience even greater. It is especially vital for commercial channels to connect with their audience so their audience share increases and they can attract advertisers. As well as the initial business reasons they exist to provide information about upcoming channels, and entertain their viewers. After all, no one would watch something if it was boring.
Red
Bee (a media management company whose clients include the BBC, Virgin Media
Television, Channel 4 and Nike) believe the purpose of TV branding should be to
a)
Drive awareness
b)
Drive deeper connection and loyalty
c)
Drive sales
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