NMPFT rebrand creates National Media Museum

The National Museum of Photography, Film and Television in Bradford is set to launch its new name and brand identity this week, following a rebranding process by Leeds consultancy Thompson.

Relaunching as the National Media Museum, the institution is changing its name because of an increased remit, expanded to include radio and the Internet alongside television, photography and film.

Thompson was appointed without a pitch to design the identity and name, on the back of the consultancy’s previous work for the museum.

The group has created all the visual elements of the brand, including signage, merchandise and literature. It is also developing an above-the-line advertising campaign designed to promote the museum’s new brand, running across outdoor posters in Yorkshire and on-line.

The museum opened a £3m interactive television gallery in July this year called Experience TV and it is now planning to launch a further two new galleries by spring 2007.

It will extend its permanent animation gallery, with the development of a space called Animation Plus, to include digital gaming. Media Matters, a new contemporary gallery that will change every few months, will focus on current media issues.

Redman Design created the recently launched Experience TV gallery, but the museum is expected to put the design work for the new projects out to tender in June next year.

A convergence of technologies – such as the growth of the Internet and the delivery of traditional media content on-line – was one of the main factors behind the new name, which sees the museum ditching the identity it has held for the past 23 years. Colin Philpott, head of the National Media Museum, says that the museum wants to restore media to a position at the centre of British cultural life. ‘Britain needs a national museum to reflect this important and influential aspect of our national life and identity,’ he says.

Ian Thompson, creative director at Thompson, says that the brand identity had to reflect the museum’s ambitions. ‘It wasn’t simply a case of rebranding what was already there. The new brand is a statement of intent for the National Media Museum,’ he says.



NATIONAL MEDIA MUSEUM

• Opened as the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television in 1983

• Most visited national museum outside of London with more than 70 000 visitors a year

• Tender expected next year for design of two new galleries