ITV shows that it has a heart

ITV is launching a new series of on-screen idents this week, designed by English and Pockett and based around the heart symbol created by ad agency HHCL.

In total, 16 sequences were filmed and will be broadcast together with a “dual branding system” to distinguish each sequence in each of the nine ITV regions.

The imagery is described as being short, down-to-earth and street-level, featuring live action sequences which show the activities of ordinary people becoming a part of the heart motif, says English & Pockett Creative director Rob Machin.

“We reveal a heart symbol with the use of the people themselves or by moving the camera at the end of the sequence,” he says. “It aims to show that ITV isn’t stuffy. It’s TV for the people, and TV which comes from the heart.”

The dual branding system designed by the consultancy combines the ITV identity with the regional symbols of Anglian, Border, Channel, Granada, HTV, LWT, Meridian, Tyne Tees and Yorkshire regional stations.

“To make the appearance of the idents simpler and cleaner some of the symbols have been dropped from some of the areas,” explains Machin.