One of the biggest challenges of modern marketing is ensuring your brand moves at the speed of culture. For media brands such as Channel 4 rising to meet this challenge is imperative as it strives to reflect the audience it serves.

Proving that the best brands and creators are constantly a work in progress the idents draw on the concept of ‘4’ as a traveller. The Channel 4 logo sits at the heart of the film as the camera continually links through the logo to show thought-provoking scenes that reflect Channel 4’s ‘Altogether Different’ lens on UK viewers.

Created by Channel 4’s in-house creative agency 4creative in collaboration with Art Practice and Love Song, the five new idents feature scenes including an urban fox taking refuge in a decaying telephone box, a group of teenagers on the last day of school, a frozen moment of a Friday night and a celebration of Zoroastrian New Year. 

The 25 unique looping scenes have been designed to create ‘a tapestry of modern British society today as seen through the eyes of a diverse group of 17 independent creatives, artists, and filmmakers.’ If you are looking for an example of how and why diversity drives creativity: the answers are all here.

Zaid Al-Qassab, Chief Marketing Officer at Channel 4, explained: “Our idents reach 50 million people in the UK every month, so we wanted to represent all of us, the rich diversity of our nation, our communities, and our passions. This is not only a representation of Channel 4, this is the most viewed piece of public art in the UK, that will be seen for many years to come, so it was important to us that it spoke to everyone. Whoever you are, we hope you will find something that speaks to your heart.”

Lynsey Atkin, Executive Creative Director at Channel 4, added: “The Channel 4 idents have a long history of visual excellence and as a marker for British creativity. We hope that this new set builds on this legacy and delights viewers many times over, with everyone finding a loop that feels like home to them. The idents at their purest represent the unbreakable spirit of Channel 4 – of diversity, challenge, and creative risk – and it has been a true labour of love bringing these idents to life with so many brilliant and varied directors and artists. We can’t wait to see them out in the world.”

Featuring over 70 faces cast from across the UK, the idents reflect Channel 4’s commitment to representing the different stories and people that make up British society. Rooted in authenticity, the casting process resulted in real families, couples, and groups of friends featuring in the majority of scenes.

Consisting of a combination of live-action, animated and computer-generated films, the scenes were developed from an open brief that invited the creators to interpret one of five themes: Identity, The Land, System, Release and Love. 

The in-house brief culminated in over 500 initial ideas. According to Channel 4 ‘the brief encouraged diversity of expression within a system that allows for endless creative outcomes – all unified by the consistent camera move, the cube motif and the Channel 4 logo.’ Remember when industry leaders declared that in-house creative departments were the home of ‘boring creatives’? No. Neither does Channel 4. 

Filmed across four studio days as well as four days on location in Glasgow and the surrounding area, Channel 4’s idents represent the broadcaster’s values and public service remit to take creative risks, inspire change, champion unheard voices, and celebrate the diversity of the UK.

The new films launch on Channel 4 on Wednesday 14^th June at 6.55pm between Hollyoaks and Channel 4 News with a one-off film containing all five idents looped together, accompanied by the specially commissioned words of British writer John Joseph Holt.