Present on all continents, TV5MONDE claims to be the world's leading Francophone network. But how can this plurality of identities and cultures be translated into a unique visual identity, while affirming the network's ambition for modernization? Arriving in 2024, its new president Kim Younes initiated a comprehensive reflection on the image of TV5MONDE, which resulted in a new visual and sound design, set to air starting October 6.
With a presence in nearly 200 countries, TV5MONDE offers eight channels deployed by geographic region, two thematic channels, and an online platform: TV5MONDE+. The network also broadcasts its programs subtitled in twelve languages to reach as wide an audience as possible. In total, it reaches over 400 million households around the world.
In 2024, as it celebrated its 40th anniversary, TV5MONDE underwent a governance shift: Kim Younes became the new president, succeeding Yves Bigot, who had been in the role since 2012.
From the very beginning, Kim Younes wanted to launch a global reflection on the identity of TV5MONDE to reflect its desire for modernization.
**The Francophonie** is the reason for the network’s existence since its inception: "TV5MONDE builds bridges between individuals, peoples, and territories through the culture of Francophonie," Kim Younes reminded during her back-to-school conference.
However, translating Francophonie into a visual identity is challenging: it is a concept that is both complex and intangible, at the intersection of multiple cultures and varied territories. For the artistic direction team, there is a need to approach certain graphic codes with caution: "We are not a French channel; we are French, Swiss, Belgian, Monegasque, Canadian, Québécois... For instance, I questioned the presence of blue, which is dominant in the logo; it’s one of the colors of the French flag, but it is rarely used in African color codes. That was the beginning of the reflection," explained Olivier Schaack.
This positioning is further complicated by the network’s vast geographic and editorial reach: "It’s hard to sum up in a few words what TV5MONDE is. That’s why we put a lot of effort into creating creative trailers: marketing really helps us communicate who we are. I tell my teams to let loose, to have fun!" The artistic direction thus produces internal promotional films shot in various parts of the world, with the collaboration of local teams.
In late 2024, a call for tenders was launched to rethink the brand platform. Amandine Lepoutre from the Thinkers & Doers agency led this project. Olivier Schaack clarified: "I needed to remove all that was superfluous to get to the essence. Amandine spoke with many collaborators to determine what we were. She arrived at the idea that TV5MONDE is a channel that, through the French language, creates links between communities."
Thus, this idea of connection and link guided both the visual and sound creation.
The Sound: The Starting Point of the New Identity
While image typically drives the redesign of a channel's identity, this time, the approach was different: "My experience at Canal+ convinced me that we should start with sound," explained Olivier Schaack, referring to his work on the moving logo of StudioCanal, whose music was composed by Alexandre Desplat.
He thus initiated the creation of a global soundtrack lasting 2 minutes and 30 seconds, incorporating eight variations and rhythms characteristic of different regions around the world: an energetic radio pop for the United States, reggaeton and baile funk for Latin America, bright pop for the Pacific, afrobeat and afrohouse for Africa, and K-pop for Asia. "I absolutely wanted to avoid stereotypical sounds for each region. The idea was to have subtle evocations," he added.
Following a call for tenders, the Laplage studio was selected. Sébastien Lipszyc, composer and co-founder of Laplage, explained: "We created a music that evokes travel, elsewhere, using deliberately non-identifiable elements to suggest escape without ever referring to a specific culture."
The entire piece was recorded by an orchestra at the iconic Ferber Studios in Paris and mixed by Alan Meyerson, known for his collaborations with Hans Zimmer.
A New Graphic Identity
The Gédéon agency was chosen to design the new graphic identity. The idea of connection, born during the brand platform work, is embodied in the design through the principle of weaving.
"Our graphic identity relies on a play of vertical and horizontal lines. Aligned on a grid, the letters cross and intertwine. Similarly, we intertwine images," explained Olivier Schaack. The color palette consists of five colors: olive green, lemon yellow, sakura pink, sapphire blue, and fiery orange, complemented by charcoal black and chalk white.
The various texts are composed using the IBM Plex typeface, originally created for digital use. Its geometric and regular design, which resembles a monospaced font, allows the letters to fit more easily within the grid-based graphic system.
The logo has also been redesigned: the typographic composition, heavily spaced, takes inspiration from IBM Plex's design. Only the "5" from the channel’s historic logo, easily recognizable, has been kept.
On air, the "permanent" will now only display the TV5MONDE logo in one corner of the screen, without mention of the geographic zone: only a color, assigned to each broadcast, will differentiate the channels. "In certain parts of the world, it's possible to receive several signals: so we had to make sure that some channels didn’t have the same color," said Olivier Schaack. The logo will appear in one of the four corners of the screen, depending on the constraints of the broadcast image.
Redesigning On-Air Continuity
Beyond the sound and image, this redesign inspired a reflection on the writing of the on-air continuity. The trailers thus leave maximum space for content, with information moving to the top of the screen. A small sound cue (the "chrono") will mark the transition between the main body of the trailer and the pack shot, acting as a sort of sound signature.
Self-promotion is now dynamic, with the implementation of a new distribution system. This will allow TV5MONDE to "tease" upcoming programs directly during shows, instead of relying on traditional "coming next" teasers aired between programs.
The Pause: The Return of the Speakerines
A new module, called "La Pause" (The Pause), aims to bring back the spirit of speakerines (female announcers) that disappeared in the 1990s. "I like to remind people that my profession was born with the death of the speakerines," said Olivier Schaack. "But today, when you watch a television channel, many modules follow one another: jingles, commercials, trailers, idents, theme songs... and you sometimes have to wait until the news to see any 'human' presence. So I thought: would it not be interesting to bring back the speakerines?"
These modules, lasting about two minutes, will present the main events on TV5MONDE while showcasing the channel's teams: "If I go back to the origins, the speakerines were not actresses: often, they had no real experience. I wanted the presenters of these modules to be TV5MONDE employees." They were filmed in the network's projection room, with a swing installed and the backdrop decorated with color panels. "We still wanted the design to be present: the presenters appear in a square frame, which leaves space on the outside for small graphics, information..."
A New Set for the News
The news set, which had remained unchanged since 2013, also undergoes a transformation. Philippe Antoine, appointed Director of News in March, wanted to move away from the usual globe image and instead focus on faces and landscapes.
While the grid concept is retained, the execution is different from the rest of the on-air design: "My principle is that the design of a show should never replicate the channel's identity, otherwise everything becomes worn out. But since they coexist, there is still a form of coherence," emphasized Olivier Schaack.
The new orange color, "fiery orange," is now used for news, with blue hues for current events and purple for culture. Under the leadership of Julie Lavigne, the new opening sequence was created in-house by Nicolas Menet, with agency 17Mars working on the rest of the visual design, from the logo to the lower thirds and animations on the set screens.
A completely new set, after over 15 years on air, was also built. Designed by Panoramic 7, it aims to combine materials and textures. "We wanted to play with wood and very light surfaces," explained Nicolas Renard, Director of Productions, during the back-to-school conference. "We also trusted Sophie Mallebranche, a designer, who created a metallic fabric that wraps around the table's legs—the heart of the set."
Modular, this new set features a curved LED wall, "a fresco, an opening to the Francophone world."
"There were many hesitations: redesigning a set is like redecorating your living room. There are also design constraints, technical mechanics... But we've gained space, and the set is bigger," explained Olivier Schaack.
This new set will also allow TV5MONDE teams to use augmented reality. "The goal is also to improve the environment and comfort of journalists and production teams," said Nicolas Renard.
