Finland’s MTV Network includes sports channels in rebranding effort

Montreal-based live broadcast graphics services provider Astucemedia recently managed critical elements of a major rebranding campaign for Helsinki-based MTV Network. The objective of the project was to unify 12 channels – including Sport1 and Sport2 – into a ‘distinctive, cohesive’ network group.

In addition to providing a workflow for delivering live broadcast graphics and templates to air, Astucemedia’s rebranding efforts also give MTV Network an automated way to cross promote programming on its related channels to keep viewers tuned to MTV Network media properties.

London-based DixonBaxi handled the design for the rebranding project, which was a year in the making, in close collaboration with MTV Network’s promotions and design teams. Astucemedia joined the project prior to the launch to implement the designs and integrate the workflow in a way that met all of the automation and scheduling requirements.

“After one year of preparation—including graphics, rebranding and template design—MTV Network successfully relaunched all of its channels on November 3, 2013. The changeover, which took place in just one day, transformed everything in the company including live news graphics, studio sets, printed logos, websites, promos, nationwide advertising, and on-air broadcast looks,” said Thomas Desmeules, director of research and development for Astucemedia as well as on-site project manager for the MTV Network rebranding campaign.

“One of the biggest technical challenges was the execution of Network Space, a core creative concept that is central to this rebranding campaign. To generate this Network Space concept convincingly, Astucemedia developed a complex set of scenes using Orad 3Designer as well as a schedule-driven logic interface within the Orad 3DPlay control software. With this approach, all of the graphics automatically adapt to the branding and colour schemes of the channel, allowing master-control operations to be streamlined by using the same set of graphics and templates on each channel’s Orad HDVG+.”

The Network Space is a visual presentation that each MTV Network channel uses for end-credit squeezes and other pullback scenarios. This common theme across the channels serves as a platform to manage the audience based on real-time scheduling data and promotions requirements.

Flexibility for the scheduling and promotions department was imperative.  A single control interface drives channel-branding elements for six MTV channels in an automated, template-based process. On-screen elements dynamically adapt to programming content, adjusting logos, colours and camera movements where applicable.