The four films by 4Creative, the channel’s in-house agency, will debut at 8pm on Tuesday during The Great British Bake Off final. Each spot tells a story about a giant which is made from the channel’s logo blocks and travels around the UK.
They were directed by Blink Productions’ Dougal Wilson, who was also behind Channel 4’s award-winning "We’re the superhumans" campaign for the 2016 Rio Paralympics.
The giant is meant to personify Channel 4’s values and public service remit to take creative risks, inspire change and represent diverse voices. It also pays homage to the broadcaster’s original ident created by Martin Lambie-Nairn, as the character’s mnemonic call is a re-mastering of the 1982 spot’s Fourscore soundtrack.
The new films move the channel on from its rebranding in 2015, which saw the blocks of the logo deconstructed in abstract idents directed by Academy Films’ Jonathan Glazer. Those spots showed the origin story of the blocks and their impact on the world.
While the on-air idents are changing, the rest of Channel 4’s branding will remain the same.
Dan Brooke, Channel 4’s chief marketing and communications officer, said: "This exciting evolution of Channel 4’s main channel identity celebrates Britain in all its glory and reflects our public service remit to take creative risks, champion diversity and provoke change."
The films were created by Wilson, Dan Watts, and former heads of 4Creative Chris Bovill and John Allison. MPC made the visual effects for the giant.
Alice Tonge, head of 4Creative, said: "Our new idents couldn’t be more Channel 4 – they celebrate inclusion, diversity, youth and the channel’s big noisy alternative voice. The brand sits at the heart of each film which remind viewers not only what they’re watching but why they are watching Channel 4."
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