An Exclusive Look at MTV’s Hot New Brand: MTV Push

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ABM Exclusive: Last week, we gave you a sneak peek at the much talked about new global music properly from MTV. Developed by MTV’s World Design Studio in Milan (see previous story here) and Nick Scott Studio in London, MTV Push launches with an ambitious new creative campaign described as edgy, bold, and serious.

Diggin' the magenta

“Push is a global property from MTV dedicated to new music. Push is committed to delivering the next generation of artists who will create the future of music, shape cultures and touch the hearts and souls of audiences.”

The entire package, from initial conversation and brainstorm to production and delivery was accomplished in 3 months. The MTV World Design Studio in Milan is known to nourish good creative, and as such the teams were allowed to edge the boundaries with a package which goal was to maximize the limits all the while remaining modular.

Initially, MTV’s brief required just identity, OSP, and a :05 opening bumper and closer. Although the requirements fit the strategic goals of the initial campaign elements, the decision was made to expand the Pin Art creative nexus to include a final deliverable list that added 3 additional :07 bumpers, closer, 2/3 line clip title, promo donut, lower/upper thirds, pop up box, and a comprehensive style guide. The style guide was provided to me as well, quite a nice read.

(Btw, I am accepting channel style guides for a writeup late summer on the best 2010 style guides. If you’d like to submit yours, send it my way).

“The origins of the logo stem from the central theme of the Push identity – the Pin Art. The logo adopts the circle as a motif due to the circular heads of the Pin Art. The logo inherently being a circle suggests that ‘Push’ is present in every pin of the pin art and therefore present in every genre of music. This reflects a global outlook and the ability to be intrinsically at the forefront of new music.”

The finished spots look superb. What do you think? Share your thoughts here or on our new Facebook page.

Exclusive: MTV Push’s Bold New Brand

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You won’t see this anywhere else, as this first look is brought to you as a US exclusive. Enjoy. Happy Friday folks!

For those Stateside, the buzz surrounding MTV Push, the much talked about global property dedicated to new music, is deserved. The style is bold and ambitious, in line with the artists the channel promotes: “the brand represents the next generation of artists who will creative the future of music, shape cultures, and touch the hearts and souls of audiences.”

The origins of the logo stem from the central theme of the Push identity- the Pin Art. The logo inherently being a circle “suggests that Push is present in every pin and therefore present in every genre of music”.

Here’s a peek of the new on-air campaign, with a full article on the OSP, idents, and style breakdown coming next week. Click here to be notified via email when the full article is released. Share YOUR thoughts in the comments below.

MTV Poland Turns Up the Volume With New Idents

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Sharing a bit more work from network clients outside of the US & UK, our friends over at MTV Networks Polska/Poland have recently released some new identity work.

The new spots place themselves quite nicely within the larger MTV International rebrand that is rolling out across the world. You can see the newest idents from MTV Australia here. And some more MTVI work here, and here.

The :20 idents “Speaker” (completed in 2010) and “Lake” (late 2009) were helmed by Lithuanian-based KORB, with music being handled by Dublin-based Echolab. Special thanks to MTV Creative Director (previous Discovery Channel/BBDO CD) John Kwoka.

If you’re the type that’s interested in CG water, fog layering, and wireframe views, take a look at the Making Of Video, by reading on…

MTV Australia Goes Balls Out

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Last week, a bit of new work shared out of MTV Europe, this week we head over to our friends at MTV Australia, who have commissioned two new channel branding idents for it’s MTVN HD offering. These continue the branding evolution we saw from last year’s “Organic” Campaign (with other themes including “Aggressive”, “Calm”, and “Lively”).

Individual logo animations (reinterpreted MTV logos) were integrated into infamous locations throughout Australia. The new spots were directed by Ash Boland.

MTV Ignites With Rebrand and Fresh Idents

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Europe: MTV’s world design studio in Milan (MTV International) builds on its branding campaign last year by rebranding 6 of its genre-based channels in the UK: MTV Dance, MTV Hits, MTV Rocks, MTV Shows, MTV Base, and MTV Classics. The over-arching campaign includes name changes, new idents, and refreshed logos.

MTV2 will now become MTV Rocks, VH1 Classic will be MTV Classic and MTVR becomes MTV Shows. Base, Dance and Hits will keep their name but will undergo the visual rebranding.

Roberto Bagatti, creative director of MTV’s world design studio explains the design philosophy, “The idea is to promote healthy collaboration between the world’s best motion design talent, whether they are established or straight out of school and wet behind the ears.”

With regards to MTV’s current brand evolution Bagatti adds, “Over time this will allow MTV International to grow and evolve our idents into what could be the best body of international motion design work associated with one brand”.

Here’s a preview of a few more of the new idents for those outside of the UK (click KEEP READING more). MTV Dance Idents were designed by Paris-based View. MTV Rocks Idents were developed by Amsterdam-based Post Panic.

MTV Unveils Refreshed Logo

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After a few (more) months of internal review, MTV has finally unveiled its updated logo. The Frank Olinsky designed logo that has graced our screens for near 30 years has been refreshed, most noticably losing the tagline “Music Television”. Tina Exarhos, EVP Marketing and Multiplatform Creative Projects explains, “We were really thinking about it in terms of having the brand and our talent living in the same space together.” The new look was revealed on-air yesterday.

According to the official press release, the new logo “represents a new visually defined MTV, stimulating its past, present and future and embracing it’s diversity. Everything from Jersey Shore, to the VMAs to collaborations with the MoMA. The logo is part of MTV’s re-invention to connect with today’s millennial generation and bring them in as part of the channel.”

MTV Serves Up Fresh Ident Package, Taylor Swift Scrambled

You need not go further than the credit list for these just released spots from MTV to find some humor. Cream cheese stylist? Check. Egg & coffee stain stylist? You betcha.

MTV’s On-Air design team, led by SVP On-Air Design Jeffrey Keyton, VP On-Air Design Romy Mann, and Design Director David McElwaine, lend their imagination to a set of brand new idents for AMtv, MTV’s new block of morning music video programming.

The concept? Pareidolia, the psychological phenomenon whereby random images are perceived as being something more significant. Sorta akin to when people (think they) see the Virgin Mary on a chocolate bar. The idents are the second series in an overall package of four, all revolving around a breakfast theme to coincide with morning programming.

Shot over two days, most of the idents were shot in camera with the exception of the Rihanna and Lil’ Wayne spots, which are computer generated. For Green Day, Eminem and Taylor Swift, the team at MTV brought in stylists Michael Lawrence and Ben Kress to style the cream cheese and eggs (yeah I’m serious). As for the Kanye/Taylor Swift “episode” at the VMAs last night- I don’t see Beyonce in any of these new idents, do you?

MTV International Rebrand. Hello Mister Furry.

I’ve had about half a dozen people have asked me about the “furry, fuzzy, fluffy, poofy, MTV spot”. A phased portion of the recently profiled MTV International Rebrand, the :30 spot, rolled out this month, is aptly named “Mister Furry”.

That reminds me, I need to get a haircut.




MTV Refreshes Brand Across International Channels

MTV has launched an ambitious rebrand across 64 of their international channels. The brand assignment included on-air, web, and print elements for an international audience of 524 million viewers.

The goal: cement the channel’s reputation as a powerhouse of youth-oriented programming and creative output. The aim is to continue and enhance the innovative spirit of MTV’s 27 year legacy, and to establish a coherent brand language across 160 different countries spanning 31 languages including Japanese, Russian and Chinese.

This resulted in the reinvention of the onscreen information graphics with a time-line based system to establish ‘Where you are in MTV time’. The MTV logo remains in a fixed top left position onscreen at all times and acts as an anchor for the new system of information display – with the title of the current program always appearing immediately to the right of the logo in a blue progress-bar so viewers can gauge where they are in the current program. “Now the logo is sacred,” says Roberto Bagatti, Vice President of Creative for MTV Networks International.

The eight secondary typefaces were selected for their expressive or emotion-inducing nature – and to add an element of fun to the onscreen identity of the channel. The first six new channel idents were based on an idea of “pop x 1000%” which was, says Bagatti, “the rebrand project’s title and mantra.”

The assignment was led UK-based Universal Everything in collaboration with Roberto Bagatti, Creative Director of MTV World Design Studio Milano and Dylan Griffith – Creative Director of MTV North.

MTV to Rebrand MTV One, MTV One+

MTV is in the midst of a major rebranding initiative. MTV One will become MTV and MTV One+ will change to MTV+. The new branding will take effect on July 1 and the sources confirm that all other aspects regarding the channels will “remain as at present”.

MTV UK was changed to MTV One back in July 2007, while MTV2 became MTV Two to fit with the overall branding campaign. It’s unclear as yet whether MTV Two will also now change its identity under the new arrangements.