Paris (FRA), April 5, 2011 - The Eurosport Group has unveiled a new brand identity across its global multimedia platform, spanning its operations in Europe, the MENA and Asia-Pacific.
The launch marks the end of an 18-month branding review with new on-air graphics, a new musical identity and a “soft” evolution of its iconic logo.
Since launching in 1989, Eurosport has grown from single TV channel to leading European multimedia platform. The brand review -- the biggest in the group’s history -- represents a major stepchange for Eurosport, and is designed to create an improved and visually engaging environment to showcase Eurosport’s brand values of emotion, live action and diversity of sports.
The new brand identity and graphics revamp will be deployed on-air, online and mobile and in every Eurosport office around the world, as well as for the group’s advertising, marketing and corporate communications.
The new brand strategy also positions the group for future expansion into new territories and the launch of new products on to the market.
“We believed the time was right to modernise and energise our brand to reflect our position as the leading provider of live sports in Europe, as well as our continued expansion as an international media group,” says Laurent-Eric Le Lay, Eurosport Group Chairman & CEO.
“Live sports generate powerful emotions for sports fans, and we wanted to create an environment centred around these emotions, putting the fan at the heart of the action. Additionally, Eurosport covers the widest variety of sports of any media in Europe, over 150 different disciplines across our platforms, and we have integrated this diversity into our branding to underline that we are the brand for all sports, with a rich and compelling offer for all communities of sports fans.
The emergence of new technology has enabled us to constantly innovate, today bringing fans top live sports action wherever they are, across all screens from TV to PC, to mobile and tablet PCs. We have remained true to our sporting heritage and fans while succeeding in harmonising our new brand universe across all our media platforms.”
After over 20 years of existence, the brand has achieved massive brand equity and trust, with 91% awareness across Europe*, so Eurosport decided to preserve the iconic brand logo but develop a fresher and more contemporary design. The greatest change has therefore been in the elements around the logo, creating a new “brand universe”.
New on-air elements, scripted and directed by Paris-based broadcast production agency, Les Télécréateurs, put the fans and the emotions felt when watching sport at the heart of the narrative. A series of six new channel idents have been shot, each drawing on one key emotion for its inspiration: Joy, Anger, Empathy, Encouragement, Surprise and Anguish, and incorporating 18 different sports disciplines.
The work includes all on-air infographics, from broadcast (ranking and standings updates and “coming up next” visuals) to commercial elements (graphic pop-ups, text banners, opening and closing titles, and advertising break bumpers). They will also make viewers’ visual navigation easier, providing information quicker and in a clearer format.
New audio branding was also specially commissioned to enhance the moods associated when watching sport. The new audio elements were created by award-winning Amsterdam agency Massive Music and will be heard during the channel idents and in the programme links.
A cross-media pan-European communications campaign including TV, print, web and mobile advertising, PR, dedicated micro-site, consumer competition, music downloads, viral and social media activation with blogger outreach, will launch simultaneously with the new on air look & feel, 5 April.
*EMS Summer Survey 2010