LWT 1999 – 2000 Branding

By 1998, ownership of ITV was almost entirely held by a handful of companies: English and Welsh regions belonged to Granada, Carlton and United News & Media, while the Scottish regions were managed by SMG. As it moved closer and closer towards becoming a single company, ITV needed to look as cool, young, fresh and competitive as possible. The ITV Corporate logo of 1989 seemed austere and out-of-date.

In September that year, ITV’s commercial director John Hardie unveiled a new look: a “friendly” ITV logo of lower-case letters, plus a new “heart” symbol for the channel. “ITV is the channel closest to the heart of the nation. This is emphasised by its proud history as a strong regional network, reflecting the lives and concerns of heartland Britain. This will not be a sentimental Valentine-type heart. It will be a much more subtle and adaptable image designed to reflect the breadth and depth of our programme output – ITV at the heart of the action, at the heart of current affairs, at the heart of the nation.”

The incoming idents would therefore show members of the public arranged in heart shapes, before mixing into the local station logo. The ITV Corporate ‘hearts’ look was introduced on 8th November 1999.