Chinese State TV gets taste for Red Pepper ID

Red Pepper ID has created brand identities for Chinese State Television (CCTV) and its channels.

It is understood to be the first time the broadcaster has worked with a British design group. It is also the first work Red Pepper has undertaken in China. The consultancy is understood to have won the £165 000 project after a credentials presentation rather than as part of a formal pitch, although CCTV representatives met with consultancies in London and Los Angeles.

The first series of channel identities, for science and technology channel CCTV-10, launch on 6 July. Identities for the main mass-audience channel CCTV-1 will be next, followed by channels 2 and 7. The entire roll-out is expected to take a year to 18 months.

Red Pepper managing director Richard Markell describes the broadcaster as the Chinese BBC. “This is a major breakthrough for British broadcast design in a booming television market,” he says.

Red Pepper creative directors Bob Cosford and senior designer Andy Codden designed the CCTV-10 brand identity. The final on-screen package comprises a core marque, eight sub-idents, break bumpers, promotional end boards and menu formats.

The consultancy also created a complete on-screen presentation style guide for CCTV.

Other members of Red Pepper’s production team include designer Dal Bhatia, producer Jennie Dallas and editors Stephen Archbold and Chris Moore.

Markell says the creative team was driven hard by the client. “The CCTV committee encouraged high levels of modernity, but also helped sell the concepts to a previously conservative team within CCTV,” he adds.

An unnamed Japanese consultancy is believed to have created a previous set of identities for CCTV.