IFC is a comedy network with sharp original series like Portlandia and an expansive library of movies. They occupy a unique niche in the comedy spectrum and draw a loyal audience of followers on and off-air. Part of the impetus for the rebrand was to make a clear break from the brand's legacy as the Independent Film Channel and raise some awareness about their new, expanded slate.

Thinking of IFC as a venue became a through-line: billing talent, promoting the acts, curating the movie selection and being careful never to steal the spotlight from the headliners. This core idea informed all aspects of the design, from the new logo to the endpage layouts, promo scripts, even the typography.

The new package helped pull all the content into alignment on a few different levels. The design clearly stamps every promo, every social post, every billboard, even titles on Netflix and Hulu with the IFC brand. The brand voice is sharp, direct and amplifies the on-air content. A custom stamp system helps curate and categorize shows and movies. Even promo structures were re-tooled. Borrowing from the digital realm, shows can be promoted through top 5 lists, meme-like IDs and talent tweets.

Honing a ‘Slightly Off’ brand voice led to re-thinking the use of language on the network; from title cards to promo structures. Slightly Off means always looking for the unexpected take. Speaking plainly and calling out things that don’t necessarily need calling out. Constantly listing, sorting, naming, quoting. TV isn’t just on TV anymore, make promos out of Tweets, point viewers to Netflix and tip them off to comedians they might like… even if they’re not on IFC.

Borrowing from the digital realm, shows can be promoted through several promo and ID ‘recipes’. Slicing, sorting and re-mixing content was a persistent theme. Top 5 Lists, Air Quotes, _____ in 10 seconds. They all reflect a blog-like approach to promoting content, and in a way that easily translates cross-platform.

Unifying IFC’s digital and social platforms along with clearly stamping any digital content that may live outside the IFC ecosystem was key. Popping IFC titles off the Netflix, iTunes and Hulu shelves and making sure the content itself was clearly branded was a priority.

Building a brand that could translate across any platform and maintain the same visual impact was key. The clarity and simplicity of the design system scales across any medium, and lets the IFC voice shine through.