CBC is Canada’s oldest existing broadcast network with nearly 100 years of history. The organizations reputation and audience have aged. New, younger, and racialized audiences see it as an old institution and out of touch with today. We needed this audience to feel that CBC can be a part of their life. Something that is valuable and relevant. This called for a more emotionally expressive and modern identity.

We leveraged the existing CBC logo by using its diverse set of shapes to create a new visual language that is ownable to the brand. The shapes have a dynamic flexibility that adjusts for different audiences and create a consistent thread across the organization. In addition, the brand could now become a kinetic entity to take part in Canadian life, creating an emotional connection between the new emerging audience and CBC.

CBC have started to bring the new brand identity and design system into play.  The use of the system in off air communication has brought a fresh energy to the communication, increased recognition and driven reappraisal.

As the brand campaign launched and new identity started to roll out in owned and earned channels, it has started to sweep away some of the institutional feeling and position them as a modern, relevant part of life in Canada. 

In a study conducted following the rebrand campaign, we found that a third of those exposed to the creative said it made them want to watch/listen to CBC. Racialized individuals are more likely than those who do not identify as such to say the creative was surprising and made them want to engage with CBC. The creative left 59% of the audience with an improved impression of CBC, and 65% among racialized audiences.