BBC. BBC WORLDWIDE

The BBC is the world’s largest news brand. With a presence in over 140 countries worldwide. But how do you establish a relevance to such a wide and diverse audience - while still maintaining the integrity of the brand?

My approach was to avoid “one size fits all” global branding. But instead focus on the needs and understandings of each local market. And voice the BBC’s unique global capabilities as proof points of our brand’s capacity to those needs . Here’s how that worked across different markets.

“Your News. Your World. In Your Language”. One of my ads - in Arabic - on the streets of Dubai.

USA

Brand Promise: Comprehension

Campaign: BBC. Because Understanding is Everything.

US media is polarized. With cable broadcasters often using national and international news as proof-points of one or other political view. This doesn’t aid understanding of other nations - or comprehension of complex international issues. So, in a nation where 55% of people have never been abroad, we focus on our internationally-embedded reporters capacity to deliver context and understanding of the culturally strange and unfamiliar. the understanding of other cultures and situations you just don’t get on cable news.

Liberation struggles in Palestine, Businesspeople rioting in South Korea. Clashes between state and religion in the UK.

BBC. Because Understanding is everything.

UK

Brand Promise: Breadth of Understanding.

Campaign: Making Sense of it All.

UK news can be focused on a few individuals, issues, or industries. Forgetting the broader picture and the wider world. So when events arrive their unanticipated or fail to fit easily within existing narratives. BBC Worldwide connects you to the wider picture. So you understand more elements - and their potential impacts.

This campaign has a deliberate visual dissonance. To challenge the reader’s perceptions of “what makes sense” by their established narratives.

In places like the Democratic Republic of Congo - child armies can sometimes have more effect in shaping outcomes than any number on intergovernmental conferences.

BBC. Making Sense of It All

INDIA

Brand Promise: Support for your cultural identity

Campaign: For Life as it’s Lived

India is a vast nation. And vastly diverse - with over 200 different language communities. The BBC broadcasts to a high percentage of them. To truly reflect your “Life as it’s Lived” whoever you are.

AFRICA

Brand Promise: The power to be heard

Campaign: One Global Voice

Much of Africa is still not free. With rigged elections, censorship and intimidation of opposition. So our messaging in Africa is about the BBC’s unique ability to get the real voices of Africans heard across national borders, and around the world - in a form that those voices can’t be ignored.

The BBC is the “One Global Voice” that “Connects African to African” and “Africa to the World”.

IRAQ & MIDDLE EAST

Brand Promise: Safety and Assurance

Campaign: Your news. Your World, In Your Language.

BBC advertising in the UK can look “edgy” to challenge and grab attention. But when there’s daily chaos on your streets, you don’t want challenge. You want some sort of assurance. So this work, which originally ran on the streets of Bagdad had a deliberately calming look and feel - and a voice that conveys impartiality, assurance and support.

Our message: The BBC isn’t a “Western” broadcaster. And it’s not in the pocket of any government. It doesn’t speak for the UK, Saudi Arabia, Iran or Qatar. Instead, BBC’s embedded reporters across the region can deliver in-depth impartial news that’s relevant to your life.

direct mail

Campaign: Because Understanding is Everything.

B2B DM for partner broadcasters across the US.

Campaign: Welcome!

Hinged B2B DM pack - aimed at selling BBC’s facilities to B2B production partners. Including maps to BBC production facilities so new partners can feel instantly at home.

BBC SPINOFF BUSINESSES

Red Bee Media is a successful BBC spinoff, offering media services around the world. I worked on the initial branding. To develop an identity that clearly separated it from its parent. And helped it chart a new course.

IMPACT AND RESULTS

The work I’ve done on the BBC brand has helped them evolve their messaging and maintain relevance across a changing world. For instance, our work in Iraq was judged so successful it was extended to run in markets across the Middle East. Our work with broadcast partners in the US build the BBC’s presence across an increased number NPR stations. And our outreach to smaller production partners has helped the BBC stay relevant in a rapidly changing broadcast environment.

Agency: Vituality