Netflix Just Updated the Logo Animation That Runs Before All Original Programming

Netflix is changing up what viewers see before the opening of its original shows.

Ahead of awards season, the streaming video service is adding an enhanced animated logo for every original show it produces. Starting today, the company will begin rolling out a short clip that features the familiar red “N,” which then appears to zoom the viewer through the letter to reveal a number of colored beams.

“It shows the spectrum of stories, languages, fans, & creators that make Netflix beautiful — now on a velvety background to better set the mood,” the company tweeted. “And before you ask: no, the sound isn’t changing.”

In a blog post explaining the move, the company said changes are meant to reflect the increased “diversity and variety of our content.”

“Our favorite part is when the Netflix symbol breaks out into an array of colors,” the blog post continued, “which is inspired by the spectrum of stories, emotions, languages, fans and creators that collectively make up who we are as a brand.”

In another animation, Netflix shows a scene from its show The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, which then flips to stack horizonally with dozens of other shows—almost like an old-school stack of digital albums on iTunes.

Since the company’s logo was last changed five years ago, Netflix’s spending on original programming has skyrocketed. In 2018, it spent $12 billion on original content—up from $6 billion in 2017—and some Wall Street analysts cited by Variety expect it could rise to $15 billion by the end of this year.

According to a report by Fast Company, a Netflix spokesperson said the design took two years and was created by its in-house team with the help of an outside agency.

Marty Swant

@martyswant

Marty Swant is a technology staff writer for Adweek, where he specializes in digital marketing trends, social platforms, ad tech and emerging tech such as virtual reality and artificial intelligence.