‘Never Not Stimulating’, the creative idea for BBC Two is expressed through a series of animations, that collectively reflect the breadth of emotions evoked by the channel’s content.

Each ‘mood’ animation is unique but they all share a precise structure and feature the curve of the numeral 2, which is consistently revealed every 7 seconds. In addition, each animation has a 2 second intro sequence that sees the mood animation fill the screen and form the 2 curve – visually connecting the brand to it’s content.

Animations were created through a series of individual collaborations with some of the best of British/international animation talent. Animators were hand-picked for specific moods, to ensure the mood was enhanced by their style and technique.

Audio for each animation features a two-note construct, but each one has its own sound design, specifically created to amplify the mood.

30+ different animations have been created.

BBC Two has always been home to some of the best British programmes, but with the emergence of new digital players, and a brand identity that hasn’t changed in over 25 years,

audiences have become unsure of what the channel stands for.

Worse still, when audiences were pushed to describe BBC Two’s character, it was felt to be safe and old-fashioned – everything that the brand stands against.

We were tasked with developing a new identity for BBC Two – one that could breathe new life into the brand, and help the channel refocus its experience by making it feel unmistakeably ‘Two’.

BBC Two’s content is there to make you feel something. It’s television that stimulates – emotions, thoughts, conversation. Whether that’s a hard-hitting documentary, a raucous comedy or a mind-blowing science programme. This simple observation inspired the creative idea: ‘Never Not Stimulating’.

The precise construct means every animation can fill the screen and form the two curve in just two seconds – enabling BBC Two to brand it’s content quickly on digital platforms.

On linear TV, most channels feature idents at the end of ad breaks just before the beginning of the next show. For BBC Two we took an entirely different approach. The mood animations are selected to reflect the mood of content, and are featured at the beginning and end of all the programme trailers. The two curve acts as the glue, connecting one mood to the next – transporting the viewer from one emotional state to another, and transforming the entire ad break into one long ident that creates a seamless viewing experience.