In a nod to the now-standard mult-platform nature of the entertainment business, CBS on Thursday unveiled its new brand identity, which will begin taking effect across all of its divisions and platforms, said Mike Benson, president and chief marketing officer for CBS Corp.

“CBS has long been one of the most unifying brands in media, bringing people together from all walks of life. Vibrant, trusted, inviting, inclusive – a connector with heart. We needed to make that clearer and more consistent at every consumer touchpoint,” said Benson in a statement. Benson joined CBS one year ago after stints at Amazon, Time Warner and ABC. “We are defining every aspect of the CBS brand to make it more meaningful for existing and new consumers, regardless of where they encounter the brand.”

The new brand identity, below, involves two key elements: the logo and the mnemonic. The logo remains based on CBS’ iconic eye, but it’s been deconstructed, with different elements of the new animated logo separated and able to flow across screens. The new mnemonic is composed of five tones, tying back to the network’s five-syllable tagline, “This is CBS,” and it will air at the top of every hour in primetime. The entire refresh is designed to create stronger continuity between CBS’ core brand to its subsidiary brands whether those platforms are live, on demand or streaming.

2020 CBS Brand Identity​

2020 CBS Brand Mnemonic

Benson and his team worked closely with Brooklyn-based agency Gretel on all creative and strategic elements of the new brand identity.

While CBS introduced two of the key elements on Thursday, the new overall look will continue to roll out across entertainment, news, sports, studios, stations and syndication throughout the year, with CBS News unveiling its portion through the 2020 election and CBS Sports from now through the broadcast of Super Bowl LV on Sunday, Feb. 7, 2021. Similar iterations are being developed for CBS Television Stations and syndication division CBS Television Distribution.

In addition, CBS Television Studios is being renamed CBS Studios.

READ MORE: Variety, Deadline

Tags: brand refresh cbs rebrand


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