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TBS

TBS Brand Identity Montage

Context

Deliver a fresh brand identity for TBS that reimagines the iconic comedy network for a new era of irreverent, intelligent, cross-platform entertainment.

Strategy

Develop a strategy and visual identity that empowers TBS to prioritize mood over genre, while still staying true to its premium, voice-driven, unconventional roots.

Solution

A rich, chromatic new system elevates the brand into a genre-fluid, taste-driven entertainment destination designed to sustain the brand for years to come.

TBS Brand Identity

TBS social
TBS typography

Creative Context

What does it take to transition TV’s #1 comedy brand to a destination for standout, genre-fluid entertainment?

As part of a larger WarnerMedia strategy to reimagine its portfolio for the modern entertainment landscape, TBS came to us with a big mission: take the brand out of its comfort zone and into the full spectrum of unexpected, unpretentious, undeniable entertainment—from comedies to live sports to premium, scripted originals. Beginning with sharpening the strategic lens and working through every aspect of the visual identity, we helped establish a new philosophical and creative framework for TBS that retains its fun, honest, premium identity while allowing the brand to stretch in all sorts of exciting new directions.

TBS OOH
TBS posters
TBS tote and t-shirt
TBS promo title card

Design System

Quirky, unique, unexpected. The new TBS identity leaves behind any perceptions of being a traditional broadcaster.

By focusing on a vibrant color system and mood-driven shape treatments derived from the network’s iconic logo container, the new TBS design system feels dynamic, versatile, and unexpectedly emotional. The fresh TBS color palette uses gradients instead of single colors, allowing it to express the mood and tone of content rather than identify a single, rigid genre. Further complementing the system are two interdependent typefaces: a serif for voice-driven brand expression and a sans serif to deliver information. The resulting system, compiled in a comprehensive style guide, allows the brand to further flex across mood and tone while always remaining clean, dynamic, and surprising.

TBS daytime bumper

Motion Language

Mood-based animations and a flexible promo system give TBS the ability to support any story while also bolstering brand attribution.

From elegant and comedic to fast-paced and punchy, TBS’s new motion language doubles down on the overarching mood-driven, genre-fluid approach. In animation, the logo is unlocked as an expressive icon, changing depending on the tone of programming. From there, we defined a system of animated light and patterns that allow the iconic logo shape to be used as a container for content, creating clear brand attribution even when the logotype isn’t present. Together, each rich, luscious design element combines into one cohesive look and feel, balancing consistency and elasticity into an identity that can sustain the brand for years to come.

TBS Unscripted Package

TBS Unscripted biggest title card

Unscripted Update

After a successful brand refresh, TBS doubled down on unscripted programming with a new slate of competition, variety, and late-night shows.

We expanded our foundational TBS design system with a fresh package of promo toolkits that embodies the high adrenaline action and big events coming to the network. To introduce more energy and excitement, we added a punchy new font weight, dialed up the saturation to create outrageous gradient color combinations, and pushed the iconic TBS brand shape to the edge.

TBS Unscripted title card Wednesday

Going Off Script

The bigger, bolder toolbox provided new tools for promoting its scripted originals and animated series as well.

TBS fell in love with the Unscripted package add-ons and leveraged the expanded system to promote their fall premieres. Now, armed with an even more flexible visual identity system that dials back for nuanced elegance and way (way) up for high-energy primetime promotion, TBS is empowered to boldly own and differentiate its unique position within WarnerMedia’s content ecosystem.

Services

Brand Strategy –– Visual Identity –– Graphic Design –– Animation –– Print Design –– Editing –– Brand Guidelines –– Motion Guidelines –– Animation Toolkits

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