The CW is an American broadcast television network that launched in September 2006 as a joint venture between CBS Corporation and Warner Bros. Entertainment, combining programming from the former UPN and The WB networks. The network’s visual identity has undergone two distinct phases: a launch identity created by Troika Design Group in 2006, and a 2024 refresh led by London-based brand consultancy DixonBaxi.
Design and History
The CW’s original logo debuted at the network’s Upfronts in May 2006, designed by Hollywood-based Troika Design Group. The mark featured the curved, conjoined letters of C and W, which the agency said reinforced the network’s brand message of bringing viewers together. Troika was awarded the assignment after an intensive pitch involving the nation’s top broadcast design companies, and also produced the network’s on- and off-air identity, its “Free to Be (fill in the blank)” tagline, and a summer tease campaign. The design was dominated by refreshing green hues and friendly curves, and was created specifically to be conducive to animation and motion. [1]
In January 2024, under new owner Nexstar Media Group, The CW unveiled an “evolution” of its logo and brand identity, timed to the airing of the Critics Choice Awards. The refresh, developed with UK-based brand consultancy DixonBaxi, made several notable changes. The word “The” was removed from the logo, so it now reads simply “CW,” though the network continues to refer to itself as “The CW” in name. The CW’s chief marketing officer Chris Spadaccini explained that the “The” was not readable when reduced down for digital formats, streaming, social media, or mobile screens. The logo lettering was also made bolder and more compressed, with thicker lines, helping it fit better on digital platforms. [2] [3]
DixonBaxi refined the existing logo with more typographic weight and balance, drawing from the iconic shape of the original mark. The agency described the rebrand as capturing The CW’s “irreverent, underdog spirit” with a confident typographic system and vibrant color palette. [4] [5]
Meaning and Symbolism
The most dramatic change in the 2024 refresh was the color palette. The network’s longtime kelly green was replaced with a red-orange hue that The CW brands as “hot sauce.” Spadaccini said the color selection was challenging because of how cluttered the broadcast landscape is, noting that blue was too crowded among competitors like Disney, Max, Amazon, and Fox. The network landed on the reddish-orange “hot sauce” color because it is warm, energetic, accessible, and stands out. The hero color is supplemented by a pink called “icing” and a light green dubbed “mint.” [2] [3]
The rebrand also introduced a new network symbol called “the stage,” a flexible device that expands and contracts from the logo to hold copy, reveal information, showcase stars or show titles, and transition between screens. Spadaccini described it as the network’s version of Paramount’s mountain, born directly out of the logo’s brand DNA. A sonic branding system was also developed, centered on the audio of an actual striking match, which plays off the hot sauce theme as “the igniter.” [2]
Typography and Design
The 2024 identity uses F37 Bolton, a sans-serif typeface by UK-based type studio F37 Foundry, as the brand’s signature display font. DixonBaxi described the type system as “premium and deadpan,” delivered atop pure white backdrops to allow messaging to flourish with boldness and confidence. The core aim for the identity was “a clean and simple system that relies heavily on a great TOV to bring the attitude,” according to DixonBaxi senior producer Eliot Bromley. [6] [7]
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