Hubei TV Channel Branding

Summary

In 2015, China Hubei TV embarked on a revamping project designed to reflect the Hubei Province’s culture, history, and people. Water was chosen to form the basis of the visual language, with different forms of water such as water droplets, ripples, bubbles, rivers, and waves being used to represent the unique identity of the channel and the unique spirit of it as well as that of the Hubei province. The various symbols of water are meant to convey the inheritance of thousands of years of history and heritage and serve as a medium that jointly carries the people’s hopes and dreams.

Mission

In 2015, JL DESIGN was invited to revamp China Hubei TV’s logo animation, ident video, and image film. Hubei's unique geography, sitting at the confluence of the Yangtze and Han rivers, has led to its developing into the center of economy, culture, and history. Additionally, the extensive river network has also made water an inseparable part of Hubei imagery. The goal was to present Hubei’s culture, history, and people through the main visual language of water to create a unique essence that is exclusive to Hubei TV.

Solution

The logo animation is based on China Hubei TV’s main colour, blue, with the blue gradient of flowing water meeting another source of water and interacting to form the logo. This serves both as a symbol of the confluence of the two rivers and of Hubei TV’s location in the centre of China. The channel ident video is made up of three major programme types, news, culture, and lifestyle, with moving images of water serving to transition between different viewpoints and perspectives, from micro to macro. At a deeper level, the diffusion patterns of ripples, waves, and bubbles are meant to express the global broadcasting influence of the channel. The channel’s promotional video showcases Hubei throughout the day, all the way from early morning to late at night, starting from the Yangtze River, with its long-standing cultural and historical significance, and ending with the modern and bustling nighttime urban landscape. The videos emphasise the profound connection and interaction between the river and people.

Impact

The design uses water as its symbol, and uses diverse visual elements such as water droplets, ripples, bubbles, rivers, and waves to create unique visual language for Hubei TV, as well as to represent the essence of the channel and the spirit of Hubei. Water is everchanging, making it the perfect vehicle for conveying Hubei’s rich heritage, the inheritance of thousands of years of history and culture, and the people’s hopes and dreams.