Emilia Tonello - Cartoon Network

Cartoon Network
Brand Identity, Motion System

Cartoon Network celebrates a legacy of genre-defining entertainment and cultural influence. Our rebrand efforts included a 360˚ approach that included visual identity, motion toolkit, social, OOH and sonic which we then codified into comprehensive guidelines and templates for CN.

Role: Design

Logo + Typography + Color Code

The classic Cartoon Network logo served as our jumping off point. The circle & square are graphic motifs that form the foundation of the visual brand language, derived from the roundness of the ‘C’ and the squareness of the ’N’ — creating a graphic interplay for various characters to interact within them.

For the typography, we updated the san serif typeface to Intervogue Alt Black and Alt Bold.

For our color palette refresh, we wanted to create something that felt distinctly Cartoon Network while appealing to a more inclusive audience. We merged the existing color palette of Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow with a secondary palette of Indigo, Rose, and Green.

Prism

Our updated color palette provided an opportunity to use an exciting, new visual device: the prism. The prism was born out of the effect created when overlapping the colors in the original color palette. The optical artifact created acts as an energizing force in the visual language. It allows for dynamic brand expression, uniting various content types while also working as a transitional element. The prism uses gradients, refraction, aberration, and “bits & sparkles” in order to create its effect.

Static Design

Our statics were inspired by how our designs behave in motion. Our goal was to infuse all static elements with a potential kinetic energy. The prism, for example, was primarily a motion device; but when used as a static, the motion blur makes it almost appear as if we captured a title sequence transition in freeze frame.

Graphic Language

Motion Language

Motion design became an exciting way to bring the logo elements to life—both as containers for IP and as characters themselves.

We leveraged a split-screen to bisect content — particularly live-action and animation — together with design. This served as a fun way to energize the logo and combine different shows within it.

Motion was a key element in our prism as well. Starting out flat, the prism quickly becomes quasi-3d to wipe in and out of different visuals.

On-Air Assets / Transitions & Wipes

On-Air Assets / Lower Thirds, End cards, Mortises, Credits, Stinger

Sound

We called upon our sound partner Antfood to embody the Cartoon Network concept, “Redraw Your World,” and bestow a playful sonic “voice” to our visuals.

Antfood created an immersive, cinematic, and expressive sound that spoke to both the network’s existing legacy and its expanded offerings. They used the brand voice qualities — adventurous, playful, authentic, funny, and empowering — to land on the sonic identity.

On-Air Assets / Lower Thirds, End cards, Mortises, C

Completed at BUCK (LA)

Executive Creative Director: Luisa Murray
Group Creative Director: Joe Mullen
Executive Producer: Emily Rickard, Kirsten Collabolletta
Creative Director: Jeni Wamberg
Associate Creative Director: Kirk Johnson
Senior Art Director: Eduardo Gooda
Brand Strategy Director: Marla Moore, Asia Hunt
Producer: Andrew Chan Gladstone, Adam Reeb
Copywriter: David Evans
Design: Jose Flores, Joel Plosz, Vicky Chong, Emilia Tonello
Animation: Adelir Boeira, Filipe Consoni, Esteban Esquivo, Nick Petley
Editors: Billy Kostka, Robert Bailey

Sonic Branding: Antfood

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