Concept and creative process
Blue Peter' is the longest-running children's TV series in the history of television. It has been broadcast every year since its launch in 1958 and is still going strong. The brief for redesigning the titles was to make the show feel more contemporary. The producers knew that the programme was incredibly popular, but also that not many kids would admit to saying that they watched it, so the designer's challenge was to create something that felt of the time. Another important element of the brief was that the original 'Blue Peter' ship emblem, designed by Tony Hart, was not to be altered. We felt the symbol was so iconic but that we needed to come up with a different way of using it. So we designed a new vessel using the original ship as the emblem on its hull. Kevin Hill actually drew his concept of the new ship on a napkin in the BBC Canteen for Andy McNamara to work from. We took reference from contemporary pop-culture, and gave the presenters a “hero” role in travelling and adventuring through the sea-scape, guided along by the Blue Peter ships. The new logo was the winner of Best Logo in the New York Festivals.