Virgin’s Interactive Digital Sales arm gets ‘unified’ look

Virgin Media subsidiary Interactive Digital Sales will this week unveil a new brand identity by Blast, responding to the impact of converging technology and subsequent advertising shifts.

IDS provides a media sales service for Virgin Media Television, UKTV, Setanta Sports channels and their related digital platforms. Due to growing audiences, the integration of Virginmedia.com and cross platform developments, a more relevant brand identity was needed, according to Blast.

The group won the contract in February, having worked with IDS on a previous project. Beverley Clarke, IDS associate director of innovation strategy and communication, says, ‘It’s unusual for us to commission a branding company. We’ve had a logo before but never developed our brand. Advertising is changing and so are we. IDS helps brands make the most of a convergent world and Blast has helped us create one explicit brand.’ As well as creating a more unifying branded identity, Blast has overhauled the IDS website. The ‘Jack’, which acts as a logo within the branded identity, is a visual navigation device within the website to help clients identify the services available to them across channel brands, advertising formats and media platforms.

The branding will be applied to a range of supporting materials including signage, stationery and internal communications. The group has also devised a set of brand guidelines for future applications.

The next stage of the project will be to look at extending the brand identity to print form. Clarke says, ‘We’re looking at doing something different in that direction.’