The new DStv World: Created By The Brand Union

The DStv vision is to surround people with entertainment and The Brand Union, along with communications partner Ogilvy, are helping to make this experience come to life.

The Brand Union was asked to complete a myriad of tasks - to take the DStv brand in their hands and create something magical. The remit included simplifying the array of sub-brands, products and services into easily understood offerings to the customer alongside refreshing the overall brand image. Future competition would not only include traditional broadcasters, but players such as Apple, hence the need for a future view.

The number of sub-brands was reduced and a common look and feel was created across the portfolio of offerings to ensure that DStv once again became the driving force behind this massively innovative business.

The refreshed brand had to clearly bring alive the aspiration that DStv surrounds you with a world of entertainment. This came to life in an almost literal translation through the creation of a seemingly three-dimensional system that transported you into a world of entertainment. A huge stride forward, in terms of traditional visual language, was the fact that the system is infinitely flexible and allows those using it to express their own creativity rather than providing a rigid grid system.

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The system caters for various sub-brands, identities and visuals which can be positioned graphically both inside and outside of the DStv world, seeing it from different angles, depending on where you are in relation to the DStv world. This solution creates a thread to pull through into all DStv platforms, allowing all DStv partners to use this system easily and to adapt it to their individual sub-brands.

The response from the agency partners was phenomenal - all the partners love working with this visual system as it does not restrict them as much as a normal brand identity would and allows them to still input their own creative interpretation to keep the brand fresh.

But wait, there's more! As part of the brand refresh, The Brand Union cleaned up the DStv logo by rounding the edges, giving it a more human touch and a more emotional connection rather than a retail feel, and removed the swoosh at the bottom of the logo in order to gain more visual real estate to ease the designing of various elements.

This work officially launched to the public in October 2012 and positioned the DStv brand as relevant, innovative and bold within an ever-changing market place. So, tonight when you switch on your TV and submerge yourself into the DStv world, remember, the enjoyment you get out of the DStv brand experience can be the enjoyment The Brand Union will give to your brand experience.