On the occasion of its 40th birthday, U.K. public service broadcaster Channel 4 has rebranded its VoD service All4 as Channel 4. The service used to be known as 4oD and it was renamed as All4 in 2015.
The rebranding, which will begin from spring 2023, is to “help audiences better navigate the abundance of choice in the digital world and find their favorite Channel 4 shows wherever and whenever they choose to watch content,” Channel 4 said in a statement. “All4 will change to ‘Channel 4 as Channel 4 becomes the first U.K. broadcaster to adopt one brand identity across its digital and linear channels as audiences increasingly no longer distinguish between digital and linear content. Channel 4’s entire portfolio of channels will also align with the Channel 4 brand.”
The rebranding comes as Channel 4 faces an existential crisis. Former U.K. Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries set in motion a process to privatize the organization, a move supported by new U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Zaid Al-Qassab, chief marketing officer at Channel 4, said: “As Channel 4 turns 40, we’re responding to the challenge of an increasingly crowded content market by using our most powerful asset, the Channel 4 brand. The creation of a singular brand vision will better serve our viewers and help futureproof the channel to make sure we’re able to continue to take creative risks for the next 40 years. We want to become the viewers’ North Star in the digital world. A valued curator to help them navigate to a destination full of entertaining and thoughtful content they know they can trust.”
Channel 4 has commissioned new idents from British artists and filmmakers as part of the brand transformation, with the brief of representing the U.K., its culture and mentality to present “an unexpected and daring portrait of Britain retold.”
