New York City-based creative agency Block & Tackle got to let its animation freak flag when it developed the new visual identity for Syfy’s animated Saturday late-night block, TZGZ (which are, obviously, the letters that follow S-Y-F-Y).
Much like a late Saturday night, almost anything goes on TZGZ: vegetables sing, the undead text and wizards get high, probably just to keep up with everyone else watching the trippy channel dedicated to exploratory adult-themed animation.
Block & Tackle seems to have had a blast coming up with the block’s fun, bold identity, bringing to life such new interstitial properties as High Wizard, The Lioness (what woman living in quarantine with her husband or partner cannot relate?), Mythical Creature Features and a collection of logo IDs.
High Wizard
Creature Features
Teas in Cheeses
Augmented Reality
Syfy launched the block in 2019, and then returned this year to rework its visual identity to more closely reflect the block’s free and colorful spirit.
The development process between Syfy and Block & Tackle began with an exploration of the block’s logo. The winning concept was a new motion logo, dubbed “Morphy,” that would define the rest of the brand’s look and feel.
B&T created a library of elements from which Syfy can pick and choose when developing new promotional assets for the block, as well several end pages and a style guide that “harnesses all the quirky TZGZ attitude into a compact artiste manifesto,” according to B&T. “Like its content, TZGZ’s new identity celebrates emerging perspectives and unique creators, two things the late-night loyal fanbase craves.”
B&T’s work on TZGZ caps a year of collaboration with Syfy, including the relaunch of Syfy Wire and promo graphics for series Wynonna Earp.
CREDITS
Client: Syfy
Rebrand
Creative Directors: Rob Edmond, Justin Grazioli
Project Manager: Amanda Leemans
Interstitials
Creative Director: Eve Penzer
Music: Written by Eve Penzer; Produced by Michael Ventimiglia, Matt Lagattuta
Sound Design & Mix: Joanna Katcher, Nice Manners
Additional Editorial: Rick Barlis, Rebel Post
Agency: Block & Tackle
Rebrand
Creative Directors: Adam Gault, Ted Kotsaftis
Producer: Megan Anderson
Logo Exploration: Damien Bastelica, Yun Chen, Adam Gault, Wei-Shen Wang
Logo Development: Yun Chen, Adam Gault, Wei-Shen Wang
Design: Adam Gault, Mike Russo, Wei-Shen Wang, Alex Winakor
Animation: Adam Gault, Gung-Kai Koo, Ted Kotsaftis, Wei-Shen Wang, Alex Winakor
Design and Animation Support: Krysta Coates
Sizzle Track: Stand Alone by Jam Studio
Interstitials
Creative Directors: Adam Gault, Ted Kotsaftis
Executive Producer: Sari Rosen
Producer: Megan Anderson
Design: Chris Anderson, Marika Cowan, Ben Hill, Matthew Houston, I-Cheng Lee, Andrés Moncayo, Wei-Shen Wang, Alex Winakor
Animation: Chris Anderson, Lumi Chang, Matt Choi, Ben Hill, Gung-Kai Koo, I-Cheng Lee, Josh Parker, Wei-Shen Wang, Alex Winakor
Tags: animation block & tackle brand identity nice manners tv rebel post syfy tzgz