I hate it when people moan about ‘copycat/rip-off design’… Usually, that is, because I believe that fundamentally all designers want to be original. I try and give the ‘benefit of the doubt’ or ‘assume ignorance’ whenever it’s possible to do so.
But there can be no such excuse for ITV’s (cough) new name and identity for their online playback facility, now called ITV iPlayer… ITV operate in the same country in the same sector, offering a very similar service and now look like BBC’s iPlayer identity we designed a while back… maybe someone pressed the big red ‘record button’?
New identity
Original (and market leader)
Don’t quote me, but I believe that BBC have sold the iplayer software to ITV and Channel 4, do you think a condition would have been that they have to keep to the current iplayer brand?
Thanks, I suspected as much, but the interface was still ITV.com so I assumed
it was purely rip off. Our strategy guys would have a strong (and more eloquent)
opinion on this but, I would say:
Firstly, the BBC should be careful of its product equity and ITV also needs to be true to its brand.
Secondly, if it IS the BBC software, that the branding should not mimic iPlayer until the experience delivers in the same way.
Thirdly, that there must be a more creative solution that builds on iPlayer?
G
The voice of raiotnatliy! Good to hear from you.