June 1 is CNN’s birthday, and to celebrate its 43rd year of existence, the network unveiled a highly-anticipated refreshed on-air graphics package, and debuted a new brand campaign highlighting the iconic tagline “This is CNN.”
The refreshed on-air look replaces the previous look that has been in use since 2014. It doesn’t stray too far from the most recent look employing almost the same color scheme and layout for the lower thirds, except the tab space at the top is now occupied by the information banner and the program name.
Rounded edges have been added to the left-hand side of the lower third, and the ticker at the bottom, and more negative space has been created in the lower third’s main portion, creating a cleaner look.
“A Day Without Immigrants” protests are taking place across the US pic.twitter.com/S6134LZfq7
— CNN (@CNN) June 1, 2023
SCOTUS w/ 3 opinions today, including one that gives more power to companies over striking workers — a cement company can sue a union in state court for damages sustained during a strike. This is a narrow case but could still present uncertainty for union fights in the future. pic.twitter.com/1ZALCN9Z6J
— Jessica Schneider (@SchneiderCNN) June 1, 2023
CNN’s CEO and chairman, Chris Licht, described the changes in an internal memo to staff, saying, “It’s a clean and modern presentation that provides much greater flexibility in how we communicate information and urgency to our viewers around the world.”
CNN had previewed this new on-air graphics package during the WBD upfronts this past May, with Licht saying at that time, “It’s clean, modern, and very easy to look at.”
Meanwhile, the new brand campaign features raw moments from the field captured by CNN cameras, which is meant to show CNN’s journalistic strength and capabilities.
“Our people are our greatest source of pride, and this campaign puts our teams front and center,” Licht added in the memo.
Clips of the promos used for the new brand campaign can be viewed by clicking this link.
Read Licht’s memo to staff below.
To my CNN colleagues,
Forty-three years ago today, Ted Turner launched the world’s first 24-hour cable news network and shared his vision for this organization: “to act upon one’s convictions while others wait, to create a positive force in a world where cynics abound, and to provide information to people when it wasn’t available before…” His words serve as a north star for all of us. I see them as both an invitation and a challenge – to stay narrowly focused on the truth, to hold those in power to account, and to tell the stories that matter to our audiences around the world.
It’s fitting that this morning marks the release of an all-new on-air graphics package that showcases our strength as a video news organization. It’s a clean and modern presentation that provides much greater flexibility in how we communicate information and urgency to our viewers around the world. It’s the first major refresh in a decade and it will make the news the star of any screen.
Also starting today, we will be rolling out a new campaign, a raw and unedited display of iconic moments that capture the spirit, courage and integrity of our journalists and the power of the work we do at CNN every day. Our people are our greatest source of pride and this campaign puts our teams front and center. We invite you to check it out and share from this link.
On the programming side we also have much to celebrate. On June 12, Dana Bash, who is celebrating 30 years with CNN, will take the reins of Inside Politics. And Kaitlan Collins will make her primetime debut shortly after. Please join me in toasting these incredible women who represent the very best of CNN.
On June 19th CNN will again host Juneteenth: A Global Celebration for Freedom at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. This event delivers on our mission to own major cultural moments for our valued audiences. And, of course, with the 2024 election cycle getting into full swing, we are ramping up our Presidential town halls. We’ve already announced events with Nikki Haley and Mike Pence, and we’ll have more exciting announcements in the coming days.
And finally, later this summer, all CNN employees can look forward to their primary email addresses switching over to @cnn.com – a change that I know is meaningful to our teams around the world. You’ll get more information about that transition in the coming weeks.
I think about Ted’s vision every day because I believe CNN’s role in society has never been more important or more critical than it is right now. For the last forty-three years, the world has relied on our three red letters – and on each of you. Thank you for all you do every day to keep our founders original vision alive and thriving.
Chris