Kemical appeal for Teen TV

Rapture is the first TV channel to be specifically aimed at teenagers. It will broadcast only original British programming, initially on cable. ‘Why is cable a retirement home for second-hand programmes?’ asks one of Rapture’s four founders Adam Stanhope.

The station was conceived two years ago, when McCallum Kennedy D’Auria created its identity based around a face (DW 17 November 1995). Since then the consultancy has disbanded and Graham McCallum set up Kemistry, which was tasked with the job of evolving the existing marque. ‘We felt the concept was still sound,’ says Kemistry producer Ricky Churchill.

‘Rapture is a feeling and an expression,’ says Stanhope. This is expressed in the new, more abstract face, which has to be contemporary enough to appeal to a youth audience. The colours used are bold and flat, with strong outlines.

Kemistry has created eight versions of the ident. ‘They are simply animated, but each has a weird, sometimes surreal take on the first set,’ Churchill says. The Flu ident animation shows a green trickle emerging from the nose of the Rapture face. The level of green in the eyes falls correspondingly. ‘With a big sniff, the trickle disappears back up the nose to be replaced by the Rapture lettering,’ according to Kemistry.

‘Our plan was to use this face not only on the station idents, but also to be permanently on-screen as the watermark,’ says Churchill, to brand the channel and comment on the programming. ‘The face could laugh, yawn, be sick, frown, according to what was on screen,’ he adds.

The station, which is run out of Norwich, goes on air at 10am on 22 November.

Client: Rapture

Designer: Kemistry