press release
CMT 'Rebrand'
Eyeball Creates New Design Platform For Country Music Television
Evolving the CMT brand while preserving the grass roots of country music.
NEW YORK February 28, 2006 - Eyeball was recently approached by Country Music Television (CMT) to brand their daytime programming with a more contemporary look at country music. Thrilled with the results, CMT invited Eyeball to spearhead the evolution of the networks on-air identity. In recognizing that this is an ongoing evolvement for CMT, Eyeball distinctively tailored the branding elements to function as a platform that the network can continuously build upon.
As country music artists continue to cross over into new markets, CMT desired a look and brand that appealed to a wider audience. After completing the first series of IDs, it was apparent to CMT that Eyeball had the artistic range to create an organic balance between cultures through design. They challenged Eyeball to create an on-air look that was in tune with country music's new viewers while preserving the grass roots of country music.
The creative concept behind the project is best explained by Eyeball's creative director, Limore Shur: "The idea of mixing real objects, textures and people into an abstract and layered collage was at the core of the re-brand. Each graphic element created an intimate relationship with the viewer. Drawn to imagery from everyday life, the viewer accepted the new brand with a sense of familiarity. The design and animation style intentionally felt very hand done and related to the physical look. We used black as the base to create a sense of infinite depth. There were surprises behind each transition and the use of light was carefully used to accentuate the package."
When asked to comment on working with Eyeball, Michael Engleman, VP of Creative for CMT had this to say: "Limore and his team invented a new face for the brand by reaching into the core of the country genre, celebrating its authenticity, and re-framing in a context that feels both timeless and contemporary. Every frame of the project is a keenly observed reflection of the organic nature of our music and programming reinterpreted with wild imagination."
The designers at Eyeball were very proud of this project and how these designs evolved into the foundation for CMT. It allowed Eyeball to further challenge themselves by delving into southern culture.
