New Gold channel identity ‘invokes the way “funny” makes you feel’

The consultancy, which has previously worked on UKTV projects including identities for the Drama, Yesterday and Watch channels, worked with Gold’s senior brand manager Sarah Yeoman on the rebrand, having been appointed at the end of last year.

Dixon Baxi was briefed to create an identity that ‘taps into the emotional benefits attached to watching comedy’, says Gold.

Dixon Baxi co-founder and executive creative director Aporva Baxi says, ‘Our mission was to create a visual identity for Gold that invokes the way “funny” makes you feel.

‘It’s infectious and mood changing, so we thought about how great it would be to spend more time feeling like this’.

He adds, ‘The whole key was to give the brand a voice and really understand its point of view. “Funny” is such a wide thing – everyone has a different point of view on what it is, so that’s why we went along the emotional path’.

The new logo sees the Gold channel name in back on a gold ‘pulley’ device. The new colour palette looks to underscore the channel’s focus on the ‘brighter side of life’, says Gold.

Baxi says, ‘The language is down to earth, friendly and familiar, to put a stamp on how they feel about the content.

Another intention with the branding was to set Gold apart from UKTV comedy channel Dave, says Baxi, which was rebranded by Red Bee in April this year.

‘It had to carve out its own niche’, says Baxi. ‘Gold just needed to be way more confident in what it had: it needed a brand to embrace the content it has.’

Dixon Baxi has created eight new idents using a mix of different shots to ‘create a feeling of what it’s like to be funny’, says Baxi. These show words pop-up as the logo is pulled along.

The consultancy also designed 18 sets of menus and 12 statement bumpers, which will change daily.

Gold airs comedy series including Only Fools and Horses, The Vicar of Dibley and commissions such as Yes, Prime Minister Bring Me Morecambe and Wise. It will broadcast the final ever performance of the Monty Python Live (mostly): One Down Five to Go stage show directly from The O2 on 20 July 2014.