Acorn TV

Context

Acorn TV has long been a beloved service for fans of British TV, but as their content slate expands beyond Britain, the brand needed to evolve without losing its core DNA.

Strategy

Celebrate what loyal fans love—rich characters, a strong sense of place—while appealing to a new generation of viewers through a self-aware and sometimes cheeky sensibility.

Solution

An identity and brand voice that feels indulgent and subtly British by taking inspiration from colors, typography, and mannerisms from across the pond. It’s brilliant, in a nutshell.

Brand Strategy

Empowering Acorn TV to stay true to its roots while importing hits from abroad.

Our journey with Acorn TV began with the 2020 rebrand to launch the service globally. After years of successful growth, we reconsidered Acorn TV’s strategy to transcend location and unite a world of mysteries and dramas that share a rich sense of place while staying rooted in a British sensibility.

Design System

Sophisticated, with a wink and a nudge.

Acorn TV’s new design system reinforces British-isms with a refined playfulness. We redesigned the logo and introduced a monogram that provides a memorable frame for content while building brand attribution in small spaces. The reinvented palette was inspired by the signature “British Racing Green” of UK automobile designers. We also developed a whimsical motion language where animations open with a wink and then nudge to hero messaging.

Acorn TV wild posting advertising posters

Tagline + Voice

Brilliant, in a nutshell.

Acorn TV’s new brand voice is grounded in “brilliant-isms”—subtle turns of phrase and intonations that feel ever so British. A mystery that’s “quite nice.” A drama that’s “rather lovely.”

Enter the new tagline: Brilliant. It effortlessly telegraphs Acorn TV’s roots, proclaims the feeling you get when watching, and is why so many subscribe. For the rebrand campaign, we expanded the tagline to its logical conclusion: Acorn TV is Brilliant, In a Nutshell.

Services

Brand Strategy –– Visual Identity –– Logo Design –– Graphic Design –– Tagline –– Copywriting –– Animation –– Animation Toolkits –– Motion Guidelines –– Brand Guidelines