Successes and Failures of Idents

Successes and Failures of Idents

Idents are small advertisements that market a channel. They have both opportunities and limitations. Some opportunities idents have are encouragement of brand loyalty, appealing to their target audience, allowing you to brand your channel, easily display text based information and create a corporate identity and a tone for your channel.

Some limitations that must be thought of when designing idents are typography (how the font is set out), resolution (high or low considering on-line viewers), colour (considering on-line viewers) and aspect (the ratio of the ident).

These limitations and opportunities mean that there are successful and unsuccessful idents. The first example of this I will discuss is UKTV Gold’s idents from 1992 and 2004.  The 1992 ident is very boring and there is nothing related to the show or upcoming programmes, there is simply a tap running in the living room. From this it is hard to capture the channels identity or personality, as there is nothing to take from the ident. The ident doesn't interact very well with the viewers; this is because there is no speech and no information given so we do not know anything about the channel. To interact well with the viewers the ident must be eye catching and really appeal to there target audience and this ident fails to do so. The composition in the ident is not very balanced, there is a still frame at the end and lots of space is given as the logo is situated to the left side of the screen, this then means that the logo is not centre, which is where most of the audience would look at whilst watching TV and therefore may not stay in the audiences mind. This defeats the whole point of having a logo as this image is supposed to be memorable and helps promote the channel, which in this case it does not. There is a small indication that the channel plays comical programmes as we hear laughing at the beginning of the ident from a TV playing in the background, this gives us some idea that the channel we are watching may be a comedy channel, however, the ident doesn't focus on this comedy so we are unsure of whether this channel shows comedy programmes. The laughing lasts for under a second, which is a very small segment of the ident, for the remaining time of the ident we see a tap running and someone’s reflection in the water.  From this particular setting we can gather that it is not visually entertaining and that it does not appeal to their target audience, as they have not thought through the type of factors that may appeal to their target audience. I therefore see this ident as unsuccessful as it fails to interact with viewers, there is no sound or visual information, it is not visually entertaining and most importantly it does not directly appeal to their target audience.

The 2004 ident appeals to their target audience as they have chosen to focus on comedy. We are aware of this as we are constantly bombarded with  ‘stick something funny on’ in many different areas of the screen. We also know this channel focuses on comedy for older viewers as we see lots of old funny props used, such a fake teeth. These props are not used nowadays, so we understand that the programs shown on this channel are old classics and therefore the older target audience may reminisce about the older days, when these programmes were first played. This is visually entertaining as there are so many props on the screen; there are lots of things going on at once. This means that this ident can also appeal to a younger audience as we do not know where to look and we cannot take our eyes from the screen. There are many different colours used in the ident as well as a domino effect taking place for the majority of the ident, this links very well with the upbeat music as together they all create a very fast tempo, again this can relate to the target audience as this ident caters for many different age groups. However, they have also stuck to the main point of an ident, to give viewers information. This is done so mid way through the ident when the narrator informs us about upcoming programmes in a conversational way. The composition is balanced as we are shown the logo at the end of the ident, this works very well as there are so many things going on at once and the last thing to stay in the audiences mind will be the logo. We also see at the end that the colours on the screen link to logo of the ident, this helps promote the channel very, part of which is why I see this ident as a success. They have really focused on what might appeal to not only their target audience but also a younger audience, as well as taking the opportunity to establish, brand and help promote their channel. 

The second example of successful and unsuccessful idents I will discuss is the BBC idents from 1981 and 2011. The ident from 1981 is monotonous and there is no visual entertainment whatsoever. We are shown the BBC logo and a globe throughout the entire ident. This gives the feeling that they are aiming to please a much older target audience. Another reason for this is because the narrator is well spoken, this suggests that they are aiming to please an upper class audience and that they do not want a 'commoner' narrating for their show using slang. The narrator also speaks very seriously, from this we can gather that this might be before the news. There is a balanced composition between the logo and a globe continuously circulating, the music is also very slow and steady and there is a slow tempo to the ident. This might be because they want the audience to focus on the verbal information being given rather than losing focus to other props on the screen. There is no personality to the ident as we cant take anything from the ident, this would effect promoting the brand as there is nothing memorable about the channel other than its monotonicity. Overall I can say that this ident is very unsuccessful, as it is not very appealing to anyone, it does not grab the audiences eye and therefore fails to promote the channel in any way. The ident does not interact with viewers whatsoever, however the information given in conveyed very well and efficiently.


The 2011 BBC ident is however completely opposite to the older ident in 1981, in every way possible. The ident is very visually entertaining, I feel that this is from the use of animation and that this current effect bodes well with the, now younger, target audience. The hippos used are animated, this shows a comical side of BBC that we were not shown before in their previous ident, this then conveys that BBC offers more than just one specific genre therefore enhancing viewers attention. With the use of the animated hippos this then makes the ident more entertaining as we want to watch them move across our screen, the audience don't want to take their eyes off the screen. The speech in this ident is very different from the previous ident, as it is more causal and conversational as opposed to there being an upper class narrator. This can be due to the fact that there are more comical programmes being played on BBC whereas before mainly news programmes. The composition in this ident is very balanced, there is just logo which is played half way through the ident. The hippos all merge together to create a large rotating circle, which then emerges to be the BBC logo. This really appeals to the audience as this not only promotes the brand but also is a very unique way of introducing the logo, sending a message that BBC is a unique show and it cannot be mimicked in any way. There is a fairly moderate pace to the ident, however, this is faster than the previous ident. This ident is very successful as they have focused more on what might appeal to their target audience and they have also made the ident more current and eye catching. This ident is successful as it is far more visually entertaining, this then leaves the audience with something to remember about the channel, therefore promoting the brand and overall being a success.

The final example of successful and unsuccessful ident I will discuss is the channel 4 idents from 1999 and 2012. The ident from 1999 is very unsuccessful as it fails to promote the channel. This is because the same ident is used many times however with a different colour background in each of the idents. This could confuse viewers as to what their logo and theme colours are, therefore failing to promote their brand. There is no visual entertainment other than a moving animated logo, which moves from left to right then there is a still frame. This is very boring and not very appealing to their target audience, also we cannot tell what the channel is about from this information, we do not know anything about their identity. The narrator speaks in a very conversational way and gives lots of information about upcoming programmes, this might be why they have chosen to include no visual entertainment, they want the audience to focus on what is being said. The ident has a very slow tempo, however, the narrator speaks very quickly to ensure all information is conveyed. This is another reason why this is unsuccessful as the information is given too quickly and the audience simply cannot process what is being said. Overall this ident fails to interact with viewers in many ways, therefore failing to catch their eye and promote and sell their channel. 

The ident from 2012 is very bold and really stands out making the ident very appealing. There is lots of visual entertainment as they have used a moving camera, this makes the ident very unique as the majority of idents are still frames. We follow a small ball of dirt, which then leads us to what appears to be the '4' logo made out different buildings. This can appeal to a younger audience as there are lots of colours and bright lights on the buildings however, this also appeals to an older audience as they will be intrigued to find out what the ball of dirt is leading up to. This leaves the audience to want more and creates its own little drama , as there is a climax to what we are about to see. The use of the buildings creating the logo is very clever this then creates something memorable about the ident, helping to brand and promote the channel.  The ident has a fast tempo, this is because we want to find out what we are following and see the logo appear. The ident is not visually entertaining until the end, this is part of which makes this ident successful, as we are confused as to what we are watching until all is revealed at the end. This ident is very successful as it catches the audiences attention through using very sophisticated techniques of introducing the logo, part of which makes the channel stand out and makes viewers want to watch more, this then promotes and brands the channel as unique.

Purpose and Design of Idents Report

Idents are played during an advert just before the programme begins; it is designed to show the logo of the channel and gives us an insight to what the channel is about.

One purpose of an ident is to show the channels identity or personality. An example of this is the E4 ident, this comes across as young, quirky and lively, this is due to E4 showing young, quirky and lively programmes on their channel.

Another purpose of an ident is to brand and market their specific channel. Marketing is the process in which we sell and promote a product. However, branding is representing products identity in a simple and usually visual form. An example of this would be the ‘big purple 4’ associated with E4.

One of my chosen idents is called 'kite' which was previously shown on BBC1.


One design feature shown in this ident is the density of information, this means how much information is contained on the screen at one time. In this particular ident there is no density of information as there is no narrator. There is nothing containing information about up coming programmes or telling us what the channel is about instead the ident chooses to focus on nothing relevant to the programmes shown on this channel. As there is no narrator the producers have chosen to include music into their ident as opposed to a narrator.

Another design feature shown in this ident is composition, this means how everything is composed on the screen, so how the elements are balanced out and how do they work together. As you can see the kites are specifically placed in the centre of the frame, as this is where the logo appears in the graphic match of a circle, which also links with other BBC idents as this circular form is played in each BBC ident. For example the Ident with the hippos swimming in circles ends in the same way. The BBC logo is shown for half of the ident, meaning that the composition is balanced out very well.

Space and time is another feature of this ident, this is where and when the ident is set. This could be settings like real world or a fantasy world. This ident is set in the real world, outside in a field. Everything in the setting is real, nothing has been animated. The props used are related to the viewers watching the channel. A big space is required in this ident as there are many actors using the props in order to eventually create a circle, in which the BBC logo later emerges from. Again this links with other BBC idents as the same circle image is portrayed to show the BBC logo in each of their idents. This links very well as we are constantly being reminded that the circle will appear as the BBC logo.

Another design feature shown is tempo, this can be defined as how fast the ident is. This ident has a very fast tempo, the music played is very fast, violins are normally classified as quite a fast instrument. This links in to the imagery we are seeing because it is edited in quite a fast pace matching the tempo of the violins. This reflects BBC's image as a whole because it is a channel that doesn't have advertisements on it apart from advertising their own shows so it is usually quite quick to get to a program and the program is uninterrupted so you can get through a show quickly. Also we imagine that the scene is very windy as kites often need wind in order to stay up. This wind effect makes the ident much faster as there are many props moving quickly. Also the camera shot changes very rapidly, this can appeal to younger viewers that are more able to keep up with the tempo of the ident.

Another design feature shown in this ident is interaction with viewers, this means how the information is being communicated, for example formal or informal. This ident seems to be quite informal as there are people having fun and doing a leisurely activity giving quite a relaxed happy feeling to the ident. This would appeal to a younger target audience that might have time to go out do these leisurely activities, on the other hand this could also appeal to older viewers that might reminisce about those days as the younger generation nowadays, prefer to do other activities such as watching TV.

The final design feature shown in this ident is whether it is informational or entertainment led, this means whether there is lots of visual entertainment or informational. This ident comes across as entertainment led, as no important details are given, where as there is lots of visual entertainment. There seems to be some sort of blueish filter on the men, making the kites incredibly bright red which stands out, this is due to the BBC logo being red.


Another ident I have chosen is the current BBC three ident.

One of the design feature in this ident is tempo. The tempo in this ident is fairly fast, however this can be down to the illusions causing us to think the ident is faster than it actually is. There is no type of editing being used in the ident, for example slow motion of speeding up. This is because the illusions are causing the fast tempo, this fast tempo would appeal to a younger audience.

There is no concept of space or time as the ident is based around graphics on a black screen. This is set in on a black canvas, using graphics to convey their ident. This concept of no space and time links well with the other BBC three idents as the majority of their idents, in this series, use no concept of space or time for example in BBC Threes Ident 2 of the series uses the same composition with the same concept of there being no space or time.

This ident is entertainment led, as their is comedy in the speech and there is not much information given. Instead of information about the programmes, the narrator chooses to identify that the upcoming programmes are ones to watch, leaving the audience wanting to watch these upcoming shows. There is lots of visual entertainment in this ident, including illusions, this might be because the channel has a younger target audiences, in which case the illusions would appeal to them.

The information  being communicated is being done so informally. This is because there is a great use of slang making the ident very conversational. Words being used such as 'loads' this is because the audience may be a lot younger and so the narrator would like to feel part of their age group, making them more interested in the programmes.

The composition of this ident is very balanced, as there is a variety of tittles and  the visual elements are balanced. As the illusions begin at the centre of the screen this is where they want the audience to look as this is where the logo later appears.

The level on information conveyed is fairly low, there is some information displayed in this ident however not a great deal. Most of the speech in the ident is the narrator making jokes towards the audience, she's not actually referring to the programmes or the channel itself, until the last few remaining seconds.


Another ident I have selected is the current History ident.

The tempo of this is ident is very slow, this is because there is two seconds of movement in the whole duration of the ident. The logo is moving during this ident, which slows the tempo down also the narrator isn't speaking exceptionally fast as he wants to get his information across. After the two seconds of movement there is a still frame, this is because this is a more informational ident.

There is no concept of space or time as the ident is based around graphics on a white screen. This is set in on a white canvas, using graphics to convey their ident. This might be because this channel has a very simplistic identity, thus meaning that they do not want other distractions being played in the background as they want their target audience to pay their full attention on the logo and what is being said.

This is a very informational ident, as there are no visual elements to it. The majority of this ident is the narrator informing the audience about the upcoming programmes. There is nothing else to take our attention away from his voice, meaning that all information can be conveyed effectively as we can concentrate fully on the narrator.

The narrator interacts well with the audience, this can be because he asks rhetorical questions. However, this is neither formal or informal, it leans slightly towards informal as he is conversational, however not too conversational but enough to interact well with the viewers. The rhetorical questions can be aimed at an older audience because in speeches rhetorical questions are asked, children are not expected to fully see the awareness of these type of questions and the effectiveness of them. This is due to the fact that the history ident has a more formal identity, therefore wanting to question their audience in order to prepare them for what they are about to watch.

The composition of this ident is balanced between the logo and the information given. There are three different elements in the ident, those being the logo and the two programme information. The logo is situation to the left of the screen, this is because they want the audience to pay attention to the information about the upcoming programmes.

There is a high density of information portrayed in this ident. It is informational because the narrator gives information, in depth, about the upcoming programmes. In fact there is so much information given, that the narrator gives away too much about the programme. This could enhance viewers to want to watch the programme by leaving a cliff hanger.

My final ident is currently played on ESPN America.

This ident has a moderate pace, the images all change together and they are still frames for a few seconds at a time. The images are all spread evenly apart, however the narrator speaks quite quickly this is because there is a lot of information to get across during the short space of time. The images change constantly as this portrays what happens in sports, a football game will constantly be changing. Therefore the purpose of the ident being moderately paced is because it is designed to link to sports.

This ident has a variety of different settings. However, they all have one thing in common, they are all related to American football. Whether it be officials, cheerleaders or players they are all images of each and are played for a few seconds until changing to another visual element. This is due to the fact that this is a sports channel, so everything will be related to the programme currently being showed.

This ident is informational, as we are given lots of information during the ident. This is not for entertainment, as there is no footage of the sports, just images. Also this helps focus more on what is being said rather than the visual elements of the ident affecting our concentration. This ident is informational as they want to inform the audience of upcoming fixtures, as these fixtures are live and will not be repeated.

The information being conveyed is formal. There is no use of slang and it is not very conversational. The narrator is taking short gaps after each sentence, giving the audience some time to process what is being said. This is due to the fact that they are targeting an older audience, more commonly older men, interested in watching the American football.

The composition in the ident is balanced. There are two visual elements, those being the logo and the still frames. The frames are continuously moving with the logo, however, the logo is always situated in the centre of the screen in every shot. This is because they want the audience the look at the logo first, before looking at the other visual elements on the screen. This links well with their previous idents as each of these portrays the same balanced composition, however using different images of different sports displayed in the background.

In this particular ident there is a high density of information. There is lots of information given by the narrator during this ident, which is why they have chosen to use images instead of clips, because they want the audience to focus on the information being conveyed. The information given is about upcoming fixtures and currently shown fixtures, this would enhance viewers to watch as the information given is said very excitingly.

Design of Idents Analysis

My chosen ident is called 'kite' which was previously shown on BBC1.


One design feature shown in this ident is the density of information, this means how much information is contained on the screen at one time. In this particular ident there is no density of information as there is no narrator. There is nothing containing information about up coming programmes or telling us what the channel is about instead the ident chooses to focus on nothing relevant to the programmes shown on this channel. As there is no narrator the producers have chosen to include music into their ident as opposed to a narrator.

Another design feature shown in this ident is composition, this means how everything is composed on the screen, so how the elements are balanced out and how do they work together. As you can see the kites are specifically placed in the centre of the frame, as this is where the logo appears in the graphic match of a circle. The BBC logo is shown for half of the ident, meaning that the composition is balanced out very well.

Space and time is another feature of this ident, this is where and when the ident is set. This could be settings like real world or a fantasy world. This ident is set in the real world, outside in a field. Everything in the setting nothing has been animated, the props used are related to the viewers watching the channel. A big space is required in this ident as there are many actors using the props in order to eventually create a circle, in which the BBC logo later emerges from.

Another design feature shown is tempo, this can be defined as how fast the ident is. This ident has a very fast tempo, the music played is very fast, violins are normally classified as quite a fast instrument. Also we imagine that the scene is very windy as kites often need kind in order to stay up. This wind effect makes the ident much faster as there are many props moving quickly. Also the camera shot changes very rapidly, this can appeal to younger viewers that are more able to keep up with the tempo of the ident.

Another design feature shown in this ident is interaction with viewers, this means how the information is being communicated, for example formal or informal. This ident seems to be quite informal as there are people having fun and doing a leisurely activity giving quite a relaxed happy feeling to the ident. This would appeal to a younger target audience that might have time to go out do these leisurely activities, on the other hand this could also appeal to older viewers that might reminisce about those days as the younger generation nowadays, prefer to do other activities such as watching TV.

The final design feature shown in this ident is whether it is informational or entertainment led, this means whether there is lots of visual entertainment or informational. This ident comes across as entertainment led, as no important details are given, where as there is lots of visual entertainment. There seems to be some sort of blueish filter on the men, making the kites incredibly bright red which stands out, this is due to the BBC logo being red.