Channel 4 today relaunched its Video-on-Demand (VoD) service, All 4, with a fresh new visual identity, a new iOS app and an invitation for selected registered users to trial All 4 +, a paid-for upgrade which runs programmes without ads in commissioned content.

The visual identity rebrand, developed by Channel 4’s in house agency 4creative and branding agency DixonBaxi includes a new All 4 logo – a 2D version of the classic Channel 4 logo featuring a streaming bar at its core. The streaming bar plays a central role in the rest of the branding and acts as a reminder of the endless content available on All 4. The rebrand will be rolled out across the whole of All 4 including promotional trails, social media and VoD across mobile, big screen and desktop.

Alice Tonge, Head of 4creative said: “Our aim was to develop a more refined approach to branding for All 4, reflecting the improved product, which has become easier to navigate. The new All 4 branding is purposefully minimal, confident and sophisticated, providing us with a flexible toolkit that will bring freshness and energy to All 4.  It is the final piece of the bigger portfolio rebrand that happened at the end of last year as part of the strategy to align all our brands around the master brand.

The new iOS app has been completely rebuilt to be faster and more reliable, more intuitive and more engaging. It also brings improved functionality, including better download capability, the ability to start programmes again when watching live and to stream audio described content on iOS for the first time. In further iterations new functionality and new ways to discover shows will be added. The visual design will also continue to evolve over time to reflect the new brand identity.

All 4 + was launched as a small-scale test in late 2018 and is now being taken to the next stage. More registered users will be invited to trial paying to watch commissioned content without ads and the results will inform decisions about extending this service over the coming months.

Richard Davidson-Houston, Head of All 4, said: “We’re innovating on all fronts. The classy new visual identity will help Channel 4 to stay front of mind in Video-on-Demand and the scaling-up of the All 4 + trial shows that we’re getting serious about a paid upgrade to the free service. 

“All 4 continues to grow faster than the market with its unique mix of live TV, catch up TV, box sets and our new content partners – such as Vice, Walter Presents and Adult Swim – give people even more reasons to choose All 4.

2018 was the most successful year for All 4 since it launched in 2006, with views up 25 per cent year on year. Walter Presents also had its best year ever on All 4, surpassing 27 million views thanks to hits such as 13 Commandments and Killer By The Lake.

ABOUT KAUSER KANJI

Kauser Kanji has been working in online video for 19 years, formerly at Virgin Media, ITN and NBC Universal, and founded VOD Professional in 2011. He has since completed major OTT projects for, amongst others, A+E Networks, the BBC, BBC Studios, Channel 4, DR (Denmark), Liberty Global, Netflix, Sony Pictures, the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation and UKTV. He now writes industry analyses, hosts an online debate show, OTT Question Time, as well as its in-person sister event, OTT Question Time Live

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