Brand encompasses so much more than just a logo, it involves the entire experience a user/consumer has with a product. Current.tv has built a brand upon a foundation of engaging user-generated content that is beautifully complimented with unique motion graphics .
The fantastic thing about web 2.0 is that it engages the user in a conversation or interaction. This trend has been closely associated with a design style that exploits specific visual elements such as diagonal striped backgrounds, reflections and, “ajax-enhanced” flowing motion. By adopting this web 2.0 “look” that is so closely associated with the web Current.tv is making the bridge visually between web based interaction and broadcast television. Rather than just thinking of Current.tv as a network the viewer subconsciously blurs the lines between the two media types making the cable TV station an extension of the web conversation.
According to MographWiki.net Current.tv’s logo was created by MetaDesign, a studio founded by Erik Spiekerman. Spiekerman is well known for his stunning sanserif typeface FF Meta which I had the lovely production experience of implementing in parking garages at my first design studio job out of college. You never forget your first big design project, even if it is just for a parking garage. Meta Design did all the branding for the Adobe Creative Suite which you also may be familiar with.
In an article on BoardsMag.com from 2005 Logan, a motion graphics studio was tasked with coming up with the initial “animated on-air toolkit including lower thirds, logo bumpers and 15 animated show packages, including logo design for each (pod)”. When Googling Logan I found a very simple site that showcased their portfolio and clients with very little explanation. I mean…who needs body copy when you have work like this?
Since their initial launch Current.tv has continued to produce fantastic motion graphics through their in-house design team. Current.tv has a strong, consistent brand that clearly communicates that they are about the innovation of user generated content on the web and on television. Even if you aren’t a fan of the format, Al Gore, or user-generated content, many designers can appreciate current.tv’s stunning graphics.
To view current.tv’s motion graphics reel click here or visit MographWiki.net.
[tags]current.tv, metadesign, user-generated content, user-generated television, internet video, FF Meta, Erik Spiekerman, Adobe Creative Suite Branding, Web 2.0 Design, Web 2.0, motiongraphics[/tags]
2 Comments
How come you just don’t hear that much about Current.tv? There is no buzz about it. Other then you, I’ve never heard anyone talk about it enthusiastically.
— September 8, 2007
Justin…
My discovery of Current.tv was at complete random 2 years ago at SXSW06. Amongst some confusion my friend Shannon and I met Conor Knighton the host of GoogleCurrent (now Infomania) while trying to determine what we were waiting in line for outside of the Austin Convention center. He explained what his show was all about, but at the time I didn’t not think much of it. After-all at SXSW you can bump into just about anyone and they all have something super interesting that they do for a living. A few months later I was going through the business cards I had collected, looked him up and found an episode of GoogleCurrent. I was hooked… online. Shortly after I discovered it was part of my cable package.
Before SXSW07 I dropped Conor a note to let him know I had since become a huge fan of the network. He was glad to hear that I our “line-waiting conversation led to an actual ‘life enhancement’”. He also went on the explain that most of their marketing is through word of Mouth.
According to http://www.current.tv the station is in 50 million homes worldwide.
Now how many of the people in those homes understand what Current.tv is and know that they have it? Im not sure. Spread the word!
— September 9, 2007