A&E NETWORK PRESENTS
NEW COMPREHENSIVE BRAND POSITIONING
NEW A&E NETWORK TAGLINE: Ô REAL LIFE. DRAMAÕ
CAMPAIGN MICROSITE AETV.COM/REBRAND LAUNCHES
NETWORK
RECRUITS CUTTING-EDGE CREATIVE AGENCIES DEVILFISH UK AND TROLLB€CK + COMPANY TO
CRAFT NEW DRAMATIC AND THOUGHT-PROVOKING VISUALIZATION OF THE BRAND
New York, NY – July 16,
2008 – After enjoying four consecutive years of growth and securing its
place among cableÕs top-tier networks, A&E has unveiled its new
comprehensive multi-platform positioning of the networkÕs brand, including a
new logo, new look and feel, both on-air and online. The centerpiece of the new
brand is the tagline ÒReal Life. Drama.Ó
All elements of the new brand positioning, including the eye-catching
video spots and print ad campaign featuring the networkÕs talent, will be
highlighted on the dedicated microsite at http://www.aetv.com/rebrand.
ÒThe tagline, the new logo
and look emphasize A&EÕs unique brand which
promises our viewers honest, emotionally intense television that engages them
and isnÕt afraid to show life as it really is,Ó said Guy Slattery, Senior Vice President
of Marketing, A&E.
The
campaign, conceptualized and brought to life by the combined forces of the
A&E brand team and creative agencies Devilfish UK and TrollbŠck
+ Company, features key characters from across the network each posing a
challenge to the viewer that gets to the emotional heart of the real life drama
in each of the shows.
ÒAll
the shows revolved around a moral dilemma which is a nice device to stimulate
the audience,Ó said Richard Holman, Creative Director, Devilfish UK.
The
branding creative successfully emulates the raw, visceral, and unswerving
nature of A&EÕs programming by infusing
cutting-edge European design aesthetics.
Famed UK photographer Mitch Jenkins used constant lighting and stitched
together separate frames shot on film, instead of digital images, to construct
panoramic views which tie the brand, the viewer and the show into a series of
gripping show specific ads. In the
on-air promotional spots, Swedish director Johan Tappert
embeds an eerie, powerful and cinematic quality to the production to seamlessly
connect all of A&EÕs programming to the new ÒReal
Life. Drama.Ó tagline.
Since
the announcement of the new brand positioning, A&E has posted
record-breaking audience numbers across all key demographics. June 2008 was the 23rd consecutive month that
A&E has landed in the top 10 with adults 25-54 in prime among all
ad-supported cable networks. The month also ranked as the best June in the
network's history among adults 18-49 and 25-54 impressions. June's success
helped contribute to the best quarterly deliveries in the network's history
among adults 18-49 and 25-54 in the second quarter of 2008. A&E currently has the most original programming
of any top five cable network and will increase original programming by 37% by
the third quarter of 2008.
Additionally,
AETV.com, which has enjoyed 310% growth in video traffic in the past year, has
been overhauled to take on the same new look and feel as the linear network.
A&E
is ÒReal Life. Drama.Ó Now reaching
more than 96 million homes, A&E is television that you canÕt turn away
from; where real life shows are dramatic and scripted dramas are
authentic. A&E offers a
diverse mix of high quality entertainment; ranging from the networkÕs signature
Real-Life Series franchise, including the hit series ÒIntervention,Ó ÒGene
Simmons Family Jewels,Ó ÒParanormal StateÓ and ÒCriss
Angel Mindfreak,Ó to the most successful justice
shows on cable, including ÒThe First 48Ó and ÒCrime 360Ó and original scripted
series including ÒThe CleanerÓ starring Benjamin Bratt. A&E is also the official basic
cable home to the high-profile series ÒThe Sopranos,Ó ÒCSI: MiamiÓ and
ÒCriminal Minds.Ó The A&E website is located at www.aetv.com. For more press information and photography please
visit us on the web at www.aetvpress.com.
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