BBC Two 'Window on the World' idents
Encyclopedia
The Window On The World Idents are a set of idents used by BBC Two
since 18 February 2007. The idents were created by Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO
and produced by Red Bee Media
. The idents feature a number 2 cut out of, or made out of parts of the everyday environment.
needed a thorough rebrand as the previous idents
were starting to lose their purpose. A new set of idents was therefore commissioned by advertising agency Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO
, and was produced by Red Bee Media
, who made the current idents
for BBC One
. The new design needed to work, both on television, but also online, as a website and as live streaming feed. The two companies collaborated in all aspects of the process and both contributed people to the process. Paul Brazier, Creative director at AMV and Andy Bryant, Director of Creative at Red Bee Media both were involved in the project, as were Rob Oliver (Art Director, AMV), Christ Bardsley (Writer, AMV), John Golley (Producer, RBM), Joanna Bailey, Michael Geoghegan, Marky, Ian Cross and Stuart Hilton (all directors, RBM). On screen presentation was by Paul Mitchell (Chief Designer, RBM) and produced by Lisa Rathband (RBM) with music by Vince Pope from Beetroot and animation was by Picasso Pictures.
The 2007 design had to compare well with its predecessors, and still had to represent BBC Two
's programming character and to be an effective promotion of the channel.
The new idents featured a numeral '2' that was slightly different from that used by the channel since 2001, despite assurances by James Pestell that the distinctive '2' would stay. The difference is seen as negligible by some, and absolute sacrilege by others.
. Promotions began with clips of the programme, before the clips were encompassed inside a 2, as it moved back to the endslide, featuring programme name and BBC Two box logo on the left with a full size 2 on the right through which the clips can still be seen. This theme also existed with the breakdown slide, with clips being used from the Seascape ident. Programme stills also still existed, despite being restricted to the schools programming
on early mornings, and featured an enlarged middle section of '2' with the top and bottom not visible, off screen, with the programme picture in this large 2 shape.
The June refresh was by far more successful that the last. This refresh resulted in a number of the idents being dropped and a new style for continuity adopted. The new promotion style involved the endboard design being changed to a large 2, tilted at an angle and filling the left half of the screen with programme information and BBC Two logo on the right of the screen. The most striking thing about these endboards was the bright colour palette used. The end boards could be any colour of the spectrum, however are generally bright florescent colours with some programming featuring dark grey endboards. Now and next boards also featured the new style, but using mainly, the same blue as the box logo, and featuring videos from the idents in the slanted 2. This colour was also the main colour used by nations and regions. The breakdown slide was also modified (albeit with apparent haste) to the new style and programme slides were also transferred with both featuring the deep blue of the logo as the only variant.
The idents themselves were also changed, with some dropped, and the remaining idents altered so that the BBC Two logo was transferred to the right of the 2, and was present at the beginning of the ident, but faded out before the end.
Some specific programme idents are shown below:
Another controversial issue is that of the new redesigned endboards. Their basic design itself is not bad, but the main cause of concern is the highly colourful appearance. The colours are highly fluorescent with few programmes using darker colours. The light colours are widely used, regardless of programme, which means promotions for Newsnight
may be in bright yellow. This lack of concern for colour has caused outrage at the inappropriate nature of some of the colours.
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
since 18 February 2007. The idents were created by Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO
Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO
AMV BBDO is an advertising agency that works with over 85 brands, including BT, BlackBerry, Sainsbury’s, Aviva, Walkers and Mars. AMV identifies and addresses business challenges for its clients with integrated campaigns, incorporating digital, social, experiential, print or broadcast...
and produced by Red Bee Media
Red Bee Media
Red Bee Media Limited is a media management company.Headquartered in west London, United Kingdom at the Broadcast Centre, with international offices in Scotland, Australia, France, Germany and Spain, Red Bee Media has 1500 employees worldwide including homeworkers and revenues of £153m in...
. The idents feature a number 2 cut out of, or made out of parts of the everyday environment.
Conception
By 2007 BBC TwoBBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
needed a thorough rebrand as the previous idents
BBC Two 'Personality' idents
The Personality Idents were a set of idents used on BBC Two between 19 November 2001 and 18 February 2007. The idents were produced by the Lambie-Nairn branding agency, who had created the previous look...
were starting to lose their purpose. A new set of idents was therefore commissioned by advertising agency Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO
Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO
AMV BBDO is an advertising agency that works with over 85 brands, including BT, BlackBerry, Sainsbury’s, Aviva, Walkers and Mars. AMV identifies and addresses business challenges for its clients with integrated campaigns, incorporating digital, social, experiential, print or broadcast...
, and was produced by Red Bee Media
Red Bee Media
Red Bee Media Limited is a media management company.Headquartered in west London, United Kingdom at the Broadcast Centre, with international offices in Scotland, Australia, France, Germany and Spain, Red Bee Media has 1500 employees worldwide including homeworkers and revenues of £153m in...
, who made the current idents
BBC One 'Circle' idents
The BBC One 'Circle' idents are a set of on-screen channel identities that debuted on BBC One at 10am BST on 7 October 2006. They also feature on the BBC Worldwide channel, BBC America...
for BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
. The new design needed to work, both on television, but also online, as a website and as live streaming feed. The two companies collaborated in all aspects of the process and both contributed people to the process. Paul Brazier, Creative director at AMV and Andy Bryant, Director of Creative at Red Bee Media both were involved in the project, as were Rob Oliver (Art Director, AMV), Christ Bardsley (Writer, AMV), John Golley (Producer, RBM), Joanna Bailey, Michael Geoghegan, Marky, Ian Cross and Stuart Hilton (all directors, RBM). On screen presentation was by Paul Mitchell (Chief Designer, RBM) and produced by Lisa Rathband (RBM) with music by Vince Pope from Beetroot and animation was by Picasso Pictures.
The 2007 design had to compare well with its predecessors, and still had to represent BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
's programming character and to be an effective promotion of the channel.
The new idents featured a numeral '2' that was slightly different from that used by the channel since 2001, despite assurances by James Pestell that the distinctive '2' would stay. The difference is seen as negligible by some, and absolute sacrilege by others.
Componenets of Look
The idents all feature a numeral 2, with a view or scape behind it, as viewers look through the 2. The new look also featured a new design of BBC Two logo. The previously purple box has now been turned a deep shade of aqua, very similar to the viridian used by the 1991 idents. The text has also been changed, with the 'TWO' font being changed to Avenir, from Gill Sans previously. This box was placed to the left of the 2 numeral, opposite to where it was in the previous look, and faded in at the end of the ident. Once again, no clock accompanied the look, and appears to have been abandoned by the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
. Promotions began with clips of the programme, before the clips were encompassed inside a 2, as it moved back to the endslide, featuring programme name and BBC Two box logo on the left with a full size 2 on the right through which the clips can still be seen. This theme also existed with the breakdown slide, with clips being used from the Seascape ident. Programme stills also still existed, despite being restricted to the schools programming
BBC Schools
BBC Schools, also known as BBC for Schools and Colleges, is the educational programming strand set up by the BBC in 1957, broadcasting a range of educational programmes for children aged 5–16. From launch until June 1983, programming was based on BBC One during the daytime, before programming was...
on early mornings, and featured an enlarged middle section of '2' with the top and bottom not visible, off screen, with the programme picture in this large 2 shape.
Refresh
The window on the world idents have had two branding refreshes: October 2008 and June 2009. The October 2008 refresh was not openly marketed and was unnoticed, except for those eagle eyed few. The refresh would have seen a number of the idents dropped, and the BBC Two logo dropped in favour of the BBC logo in the bottom right corner of the 2. The look was launched on the 1 October 2008, and was only seen twice: Sunroof at 6am that day, and Seascape later that evening prior to night time programming at 12.50 on the 2 October 2008. This new refresh was stopped for internal reasons, and the BBC has never explained this.The June refresh was by far more successful that the last. This refresh resulted in a number of the idents being dropped and a new style for continuity adopted. The new promotion style involved the endboard design being changed to a large 2, tilted at an angle and filling the left half of the screen with programme information and BBC Two logo on the right of the screen. The most striking thing about these endboards was the bright colour palette used. The end boards could be any colour of the spectrum, however are generally bright florescent colours with some programming featuring dark grey endboards. Now and next boards also featured the new style, but using mainly, the same blue as the box logo, and featuring videos from the idents in the slanted 2. This colour was also the main colour used by nations and regions. The breakdown slide was also modified (albeit with apparent haste) to the new style and programme slides were also transferred with both featuring the deep blue of the logo as the only variant.
The idents themselves were also changed, with some dropped, and the remaining idents altered so that the BBC Two logo was transferred to the right of the 2, and was present at the beginning of the ident, but faded out before the end.
Regular
| Title | Air dates | ||
|---|---|---|---|
A paper with a 2 cut out is held over a cup, while chocolate pieces are sprinkled on top. The paper is then removed, so we can see, albeit through the stencil, that there is now a chocolate 2 atop a cappucino. There are two variants to this ident. The formup is the same, but in one the 2 is disturbed by the drinker dropping in two sugar cubes, and the other by the drinker scooping the froth off of the top. |
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A man is being chased through some woods by a number of men with dogs. He looks around and hides in a various places involving 2's. There are five variations of this ident. The first, we see the man falling just short of a rock with a 2 in it. He then gets up and runs off to the right of the 2 and out of site. Viewers then see the man chasing him run by, and as the camera moves, we see the man hiding behind the tree. Another involves a wood with a 2 hole in it. The man chased flees up underneath this 2, jumping on top and hiding out of site from below. A third involves the man diving down a 2 shaped hole in rock shelf and hiding as we see has captors continue by jumping over the hole. He then emerges to run back again. The fourth involves the man hiding behind a rock with a small 2 cut in the top, allowing us to see his captors getting ever closer. The last is shot in daytime and features our man running towards the 2 cut in the rock, running through it and turning away as his pursuers follow. The soundtrack in all is the same beat on drums, similar to bongo drums. |
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A drop slides down a mirror in the shape of a 2, and as the camera pans out we can see that the mirror is attached to the side of a car as it moves at speed down highways unknown. There are two versions of this, both featuring different road scenes and different soundtracks. The original version features a slow piano piece and is used to link into serious programming. The other is a more light hearted, up beat version. During the June 2009 refresh, this ident is the only one, where the logo fades in at the end. |
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A shot of the sea than pans back, through a large 2 shaped hole in the sea defences, with the sea breaking all around the hole. |
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A shot of the leaves on a tree through a seemingly ordinary sunroof. The camera rotates round as the roof opens to reveal the sun roof is in fact a lot larger, and is the shape of a 2. |
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A zip on yellow fabric is followed as it unzips a large 2 shaped door to a tent, revealing a scene outside. There a three versions of this ident, all having different scenery. The first is of a polar landscape, and our owner is wearing large thick furs and coats. Another features a beach in the sunset with some friends sitting around a campfire. The final one looks out onto a festival, with tents as far as the eye can see. The soundtrack is different with each version: the beach version had a guitar version, the festival version featuring a electric guitar version with a high tempo and friendly feel, with the polar version of a slow tempo version, similar to the festival. |
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A futuristic city scape of flying cars and high glass buildings pans out to reveal, it is a Zoetrope Zoetrope A zoetrope is a device that produces an illusion of action from a rapid succession of static pictures. The term zoetrope is from the Greek words "ζωή – zoe", "life" and τρόπος – tropos, "turn". It may be taken to mean "wheel of life".... , with 2's on the outside edge that you look through. |
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The tagging idents are some of the most controversial in the stations history. A somewhat juddery look through a stencil as a man runs up on a football ground, sprays a 2 on a football in pink spray paint before panning up to see the angry players chasing the person off the screen |
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Similar to the football tagging ident, a man with stencil runs up behind a policeman dealing with some disturbance and sprays a black 2 stencil on his back, before running back across the road. |
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Similar to those above, a man with a stencil, first checks to see that the Gallery attendant isn't watching, before spraying a florescent green 2 on the wall in an Art Gallery. The attendant notices and the man is chased out the building. |
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Once again similar to the last few, this time in a skate park, dodging a number of youths on skateboards. A 2 is added to an already heavily graffittied wall. |
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Special
As well as this set of idents, some special ones were made for Christmas and for other programmes. The Christmas idents are below:- Christmas 2007 - A magic sprite and a paper origami theme here. A blue sprite runs around white and light brown papers depicting trees, animals and other festive creatures. Two variations,both on the same theme.
- Christmas 2008 - The ident from the previous year was used.
- Christmas 2009 - The ident from the previous year was used, with the logo now on the right of the 2.
- Christmas 2010 - The ident from the previous year was used.
Some specific programme idents are shown below:
- HeroesHeroes (TV series)Heroes is an American science fiction television drama series created by Tim Kring that appeared on NBC for four seasons from September 25, 2006 through February 8, 2010. The series tells the stories of ordinary people who discover superhuman abilities, and how these abilities take effect in the...
- A 2 with backlighting similar to a eclipse. - The RestaurantThe Restaurant (UK TV Series)The Restaurant was a British reality television series in which a group of couples competed for the chance to set up a restaurant financially backed and personally supported by French chef Raymond Blanc. The winning couple were given their own restaurant to run...
- A white porcelain 2 on a sideboard which has food thrown at it. - Thursdays Are Funny - A comedy strand involving a 2 made up of white and orange lines on a black background. There are a number of variants on the same theme.
- Electric Proms 2007 - A number of neon style lines at the bottom of the screen that bend to form a 2.
- Electric Proms 2008 - A 2 made out of bended neon style lines.
- TorchwoodTorchwoodTorchwood is a British science fiction television programme created by Russell T Davies. The series is a spin-off from Davies's 2005 revival of the long-running science fiction programme Doctor Who. The show has shifted its broadcast channel each series to reflect its growing audience, moving from...
- The ident begins with Zoetrope or Tent Arctic, but while it pans out, the screen looses signal, which is replaced with the Torchwood logo and scenes from the series. - White Season - A black screen with white writing, scratches and other marks, pans out to form a 2.
- Back to Nature - A 2 cut out of a log of wood is seen in a number of different scenes including a river, clearing and waterfall.
Criticisms
There have been a few criticisms of the look. The tagging idents have been some of the most controversial in the channels history. The juddery camera work and shoddy appearance made it appear as though it was shot on a camcorder and done by an amateur. These idents were all dropped, except Football that still remains in use.Another controversial issue is that of the new redesigned endboards. Their basic design itself is not bad, but the main cause of concern is the highly colourful appearance. The colours are highly fluorescent with few programmes using darker colours. The light colours are widely used, regardless of programme, which means promotions for Newsnight
Newsnight
Newsnight is a BBC Television current affairs programme noted for its in-depth analysis and often robust cross-examination of senior politicians. Jeremy Paxman has been its main presenter for over two decades....
may be in bright yellow. This lack of concern for colour has caused outrage at the inappropriate nature of some of the colours.
See also
- BBC Two 'Personality' identsBBC Two 'Personality' identsThe Personality Idents were a set of idents used on BBC Two between 19 November 2001 and 18 February 2007. The idents were produced by the Lambie-Nairn branding agency, who had created the previous look...
- BBC One 'Circle' identsBBC One 'Circle' identsThe BBC One 'Circle' idents are a set of on-screen channel identities that debuted on BBC One at 10am BST on 7 October 2006. They also feature on the BBC Worldwide channel, BBC America...
- History of BBC television idents