Troika Design Group recently completed groundbreaking work in assisting Starz Entertainment, with its recently announced Starz rebranding efforts.
First hired in May 2007 to establish the brand foundation, Troika was then tasked as the design and production company the following October to implement the creative vision of Starz's on-air component.
The new Starz Entertainment brand campaign focuses on the premium television network's Starz-branded channels and advanced services.
Viewers tuning into Starz will see the unveiling of the new look and identity for the Starz family of networks and on-demand services.
During the six-month branding portion of the assignment, a Troika team led by executive creative director Dan Pappalardo and creative directors Reid Thompson and Dale Everett focused on translating the new Starz brand strategy into a compelling and relatable identity that Troika helped bring to life across the Starz family of services.
"We worked closely with Starz Entertainment to develop the campaign project's 'Shine' positioning, which included two months of research, focus group testing and development," said Reid Thompson, Creative Director, Troika Design Group. "The Shine concept associates Starz with the emotional connection people have with movies. It's driven by inspiration, energy and the endless possibilities of life and light, which differentiates Starz from its other cable network competitors. The brand concept also makes Starz relatable to a person's everyday life as a consumer brand."
The project was born with the realization that Starz was entering the next chapter in its growth as a media company. After long being considered "just" a movie channel service, Starz had evolved into a full-fledged entertainment brand, with movie production, distribution, and quality original content creation in the works. Additionally, there was a desire to marry all the Starz channels and services with an overarching voice and look.
Carried across all six Starz standard and all four high definition channels, as well as on-air and off-air executions, the new Starz identity features a cinematic study of light derived from the iconographic "point of illumination" found within the new Starz logo. Brilliant color and glorious light are also major themes in the graphic packaging.
The light from within the logo is a source of energy and fascination, revealing and transforming the graphic elements.
Kandy Barry, Executive Director, On-Air/Video Design, Creative Services for Starz Entertainment said, "Troika's creative work also assisted us in translating the new family of Starz logos to an on-air, animated medium that well represents the new vision for the brand of Starz. Incorporating the graphical tools and live-action elements successfully has provided a strong foundation from which to launch this exciting new iteration of the brand."
Troika's production phase lasted another six months. A three-day live-action shoot produced by Troika captured a variety of nature and city footage, with locations selected specifically for their beauty and natural light. Troika then treated the footage to give it a rich, dreamlike and dewy quality, while emphasizing the dramatic interplay between light and shadow.
All told, Troika delivered over 1,000 packaging elements during the nearly 12-month long project, making it one of Troika's most comprehensive assignments to date. Troika handled design and production for the development of two :30 Movie Opens, five Channel Attribute Packages, and Promo Packaging for all 6 Starz SD and all 4 HD channels in three distinct color palettes. Troika also worked closely with the Starz Entertainment team and the music production company, PrimalScream Music, to develop a unique Starz "album" of original music tracks that express the positive spirit of Shine.
