UKTV Play Motion Toolkit.
Client | UKTV Play
Production | Buff
Design & Animation | Buff
Developing a versatile branded motion toolkit for UKTV play's channel rebrand.
UKTV Play is a video-on-demand service offering catch-up programming from UKTV's free-to-air channels Dave, Drama, W and Yesterday.
The Challenge
UKTV Play approached us with a brief to create a toolkit of animated elements for their channel rebrand. The feeling from UKTV Play was that the existing brand lacked some personality and was visually outdated. Through the rebrand, they were seeking to reposition and come up with something to refresh their brand image and stand out from the other video-on-demand services.
The challenge for us was to take the new static branding and explore how this could come to life through motion. Adding motion to the brand gave us an opportunity to reinforce their key messaging of 'a brilliant mix, just like you'. We needed to ensure the toolkit appealed to multiple audiences, as UKTV Play includes a number of channels showing varying types of shows, Dave, Drama, W and Yesterday.
The Solution
The project was split into two parts: R&D and production. We spent most of our time in the first phase where we had loads of fun exploring visual ideas initially as statics and then motion experiments.
Because the content from UKTV Play is so varied, we were acutely aware there was a balance to be found with the tone of the animation. To combat this, we felt it was best to create something using elements incorporated from their shows as well as from UKTV Play brand.
Deliverables:
- A series of mini idents
- Branded transitions
- An animated font
The Impact
The final delivery provided the internal UKTV Play team with a comprehensive, highly flexible kit of moving parts. By successfully striking a balance between playful energy and elegant restraint, the toolkit unified diverse channels—from Dave to Drama—under a single, modern visual identity. Ultimately, the project gave the video-on-demand service a fresh lease of life, arming their internal designers with the tools needed to expand, enrich, and scale the UKTV Play brand for years to come.
"Buff were a real joy to work with. They are a talented bunch and know how to bring brands to life. As an internal design team, we understand that working with other motion designers can sometimes be tricky, but Buff were a pleasure to work with, and were great at responding to feedback and helping to narrow things down at every stage. Buff produced a series of logo animations and moving assets that have given our brand a new lease of life. They delivered a full kit of parts that we can now use to expand and enrich the UKTV Play brand for years to come."
UKTV
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Want to understand what branded motion toolkits are exactly and how brands use them? Find out more here!
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