Typography, I never knew I couldn’t escape you until I just couldn’t escape you!

First, we created a typography. We learned about Helvetica, and how font can really change the entire meaning, feel, and identity of something. Then we learned about motion typography; how to play with fonts and motion, and speed and animation in order to tell a story– short or long. And now while watching the Troika Design Group video, I couldn’t help but think how useful [motion] typography is to a brand, especially a television brand.

Think about it, when people can tune into their phones, their computers, their iPods, and iPads, why would they tune into television (at least in real time)? With DVR, TiVo, and online episodes it seems the channel brands are becoming less and less significant. If I want to watch Glee I am much more likely to type g-l-e-e into my search bar than I am to visit Fox.com directly. Where television brands used to have commercial air time to bombard viewers with the reasons why their channel is the best of all channels, they now can be skipped all together through other viewing methods. Is it any wonder that these television brands are investing their resources into design groups, like Troika? I think not.

It isn’t just about a name or a logo, it is about how the channel is delivering this logo to the viewer. My personal favorite is Starz Channel. The way the text appears through an actual star, then comes in focus with gold and illuminated text. To me, I understand that this brand wants to convey their ‘star quality,’ as well as their star content with star actors. Their logo tells the same story, as does the motion typography in its presentation to viewers. To call back on previous texts about simplicity and message, I think this example falls perfectly in line. The concept of ‘star’ in show business is not a novel idea. It is well-understood, and the company uses this preconceived understanding as a means of brand identity. The channel uses it in both a literal and figurative sense, and maintains a relative simplicity. It is successful in that the brand is memorable, entertaining, and easy to understand.