Smithsonian Channel
Brand Identity

Studio: Trollbäck+Company
Role: Chief Creative Officer

In the midst of international growth and a rapidly-changing broadcast landscape, Smithsonian Channel partnered with us to reposition their brand as an approachable, smart, culturally-relevant entertainment platform—one that would stand out in a TV niche full of loud graphics, conspiracy theories, and “reality nonfiction.” 

What does it mean to be a nonfiction content brand in a world that’s grown increasingly short on facts?

Drawing from the legacy and research of the Smithsonian Institution and the knowledge-hungry needs of its primarily Gen X audience, we developed a brand strategy that empowers Smithsonian Channel through curiosity and a refreshing devotion to fact. A content-first visual identity helps the brand communicate its fact-based mentality with punches of excitement and clarity. We led workshops for marketing and programming departments in New York and Washington D.C. to train staff with the new strategy and design tools that inform their daily practice. The result is a brand identity that challenges expectations for what a nonfiction entertainment brand can be in the post-truth era.

View the full case study at Trollbäck+Company.