Five puts faith in maverick idents to rebrand channel

by Ian Quinn, Media Week 17-Jan-06

Five has unveiled a bold rebranding of the channel's identity with idents that drop the Five name. The new idents will air from 23 January.

The move comes a week after ITV unveiled radically new idents that
promote specific ITV programmes.

Five's new idents focus on words, including play, live, free, love and
dare.

Among the images featured are a greyhound race, which shows the dogs

chasing an image of the word fast; a skydiver plummeting towards the

earth, with the word rush emerging from the landscape; and people
gambling at a casino table, from which rises the word hope.

The new look is being overseen by Jane Scott, director of marketing, who
joined Five from the BBC last summer, having previously launched the
famous BBC "red dancers" ident strategy.

She said: "Out of all the terrestrial channels we are unique in having a
word (in our channel identity) as well as a number and we are going to
make use of that to differentiate. We're not only going to tell people
what they are watching, but why."

It is believed Five will extend the strategy when it finally launches
its digital spin-offs later this year. The broadcaster has also called a
pitch for its creative advertising account, currently held by
TBWA/London.

The channel is maintaining its relationship with its media agency,
Vizeum.

Separately, Five has secured one of its biggest sponsorship deals to
date for House, one of the US shows dominating its new Drama at Ten
strand. Spontex Comfy Gloves has signed to sponsor the series as part of
a £1m investment in advertising on Five.