[Scarlett.]

ITV is poised to drop the numeral one from its flagship channel for the first time in more than a decade as part of a major rebrand.

The changes are set to hit the screen in January next year, having initially been pencilled in to take place this autumn. The overhaul will be the biggest branding shake-up at the commercial broadcaster in six years.

In addition to the decision to change ITV1’s name, its traditional yellow colour scheme will be phased out and a new series of idents will be introduced, possibly with a more flexible colour palette.

The look and feel of ITV’s digital channels will also be overhauled, and although they are set to keep their names, the likes of ITV2 will have a substantially different on-screen presence.

“These changes are not just a paint job,” said one ITV insider. “This is a big undertaking and will have a sense of scale. It is aimed at ensuring viewers attribute our content to the ITV brand.”

Another ITV source added: “ITV1 is the bread and butter, the mothership, and it needs to be bold. The brand will totally change and reflect British culture.”

The changes are being led by ITV’s group marketing and research director Rufus Radcliffe, who joined the broadcaster from Channel 4 in April last year. Radcliffe’s in-house strategy at C4 saw him relaunch E4 and More 4, as well as introducing C4’s floating logo idents.

ITV’s most recent brand overhaul was in January 2006, when it ditched its old blue-and-yellow livery and introduced new on- and off-air logos for its channels.

Dropping the ‘1’ from ITV1 is a reversal of another rebrand in 2001 when then chief executive Stuart Prebble said it would better position the network as a multi-channel business.

[jackc1806]

I rarely watch ITV and they need to focus on having a better Simon Cowell free output than changing the identity but it is dated so yeah.

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Originally Posted by jackc1806

I rarely watch ITV and they need to focus on having a better Simon Cowell free output than changing the identity but it is dated so yeah.

I think ITV are doing a lot better than a few years ago, they're putting out much better content these days, rather than stuff like Celebrity Love Island and cheap tat like that.

[jackc1806]

Originally Posted by Chewy

I think ITV are doing a lot better than a few years ago, they're putting out much better content these days, rather than stuff like Celebrity Love Island and cheap tat like that.

They do rely on Cowell for Saturday night though

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Originally Posted by jackc1806

They do rely on Cowell for Saturday night though

True, but wouldnt you? He pretty much saved the channel with the X Factor, the money that show brings helps fund stuff like Downton Abbey and other original dramas. A few years back an original drama on ITV meant "another murder mystery show" now it's more varied.

[Scarlett.]

So the name change is now pretty much official

"The next big project is a rebrand of the flagship channel which will see the numeral one dropped from our flagship channel. This is being created and managed internally and includes a new look and approach to all the services in the portfoliio, so no small task. ITV is an exciting place to be at the moment and although there is still lots of work to do to get it where we want to be, it feels like the ship is pointing the right way."

[Shaun]

this loss of a syllable really appeals to my youthfulness and my hectic lifestyle

[Livia]

It probably cost a million quid and took a team of marketing and design professionals six months to come up with dropping that '1'.

[Scarlett.]

Originally Posted by Livia

It probably cost a million quid and took a team of marketing and design professionals six months to come up with dropping that '1'.

They're rebranding the whole network too :P ITV2, ITV3, ITV 4 and ITV.com