Five Ident: FlashForward

FlashForward is a breakout fan favorite this season. While ABC has done a stellar job promoting the new series stateside, there has been some buzz in the UK around Five’s specially designed FlashForward idents.

One of the benefits of my regular travel between London and LA is being able to sample (and share with you) promotional differences between creative teams in the US and Europe.

The show has been a solid hit for Five. It skews much younger than most of Five’s other major American shows, and has done a great job lifting Five’s brand equity among lighter viewers of the channel.

The UK launch was only days after the US launch, meaning footage and copy was restricted. “The Eye” / “What did you see” graphic was built as the main branding device for all UK marketing, and the ident delivers a sense of scale, sophistication and suspense to a show that is billed as the new Lost.

Extra thanks to the creative team (Nol, Russell, & Kate) at Five for the kind words on the blog and their contribution to the site.

Special Five Logo via The Da Vinci Code

The terrestrial premiere of The Da Vinci Code was a ratings juggernaut for the evening, and arrived with a specially designed Five logo and :15 ident. Sunday night’s film boasted over 4M (24%) viewers at peak, making Five the most watched channel at the time. It was the biggest film audience for Five in nearly 3 years.

Specially designed logos for event nights and special programming blocks have been an softly increasing trend over the last couple of years, this one in particular, a special ident taking a clever spin with the Five logo.

Five USA Rebrand Pulses American Spirit

As an Angeleno living in the UK for the past year, I must the Five USA Rebrand holds a pretty special place in my good old American heart. I can only watch so much Clark + May touring Britain and Nigella scurrying about Harvey Nicks before really missing the grotty parts of Sunset Blvd, In-N-Out Double Doubles, my Sunday cardio aka: Target, and the wide open car park also known as the 405. And really, who does a better chocolate milkshake than a good old fashioned American Diner?

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The new on-air look reflects the channel’s strong American programming lineup with a bold and vibrant series of idents filmed over 2 weeks in New York, LA, Miami, and Las Vegas.

The camera work is up close and personal. The goal was to allow viewers to feel like they are in the middle of the action. The shooting style was intentionally handheld, raw, controlled, and fluid. A ticker-tape device was developed to reveal show information with snippets  of overheard conversation within the scrolling text.

Click for Eye Contact Ident

The Five USA Rebrand launches with a set of 9 idents, capturing the energy and passion of exclusive locations as well as unforgettable raw and real characters.

London-based creative collective dixonbaxi, in collaboration with Five Creative Services, helmed the brand assignment. The new logo is part of a comprehensive identity package developed by dixonbaxi for the Five Network and sits alongside Five and Fiver.

Click for Heli Ident

The audience is put at the heart of the action, feeling the vibrancy and energy of America- up close and personal. DixonBaxi Creative Director Aporva Baxi further explains, “The tone and pace of the new identity is ‘Electric America’, an exciting, daring and distinct mirroring of the programming and channel ambition.”

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The channel’s soundtrack was specially commissioned from Simon Pyke at Freefarm Sound Design / Music to capture the scale and spirit of modern, urban USA. The feel is chirpy, raw, and real.

Click for Football Ident

Extra thanks to agency principal Simon Dixon for reaching out and the kind words on the blog.