Logotypes in Television

Logotypes use typography to define the brand visually and literally.  In television shows logotypes have to capture the feeling of the series. Themes and styles of the show have to be taken into consideration. It’s extremely important for this logotype to be consistent and make sense for the show, while also being a readable design. 

One of the biggest shows on television today is Breaking Bad, a show about a cancer diagnosed chemist turned meth cook. The creator of this logo was obviously inspired by this idea and took elements from the periodic table to create the logo. It honored the plot of the show and not only tells you the title of the show, but you can start to guess what this show is about.

Dexter, a show about a man who is a blood splatter analysis, but secretly a serial killer who kills those who have not been caught by the police. The logo for this should be easy to guess from that description. It’s made red and distressed to mimic blood splatter.  Again using the plot for the show to illustrate to the viewer what Dexter is about. If you look at the logo for Dexter’s Laboratory, a cartoon about a boy genius who constantly battles his sister Dee Dee, you can conclude why some of the decisions about the logo were made. The ideas of drama versus cartoon, serial killer versus silly boy genius, target audience of adults versus target audience of children.

It’s extremely important to be communicating to the right people. If you brand a comedy as a drama it could deter the people who might love a show to never look into it. If an outdated logotype like Friends, was a television show that was new and upcoming you might not be as inclined to watch it. It wouldn't appear as the hip comedy that it was at the time