Bravo is an American cable network owned by NBCUniversal that launched on December 1, 1980, originally as a commercial-free service dedicated to film and the performing arts.[1] The network has been part of NBC Universal since December 2002.[1]
Design and History
Bravo’s modern visual identity began with a 2005 rebrand that introduced the network’s signature talk bubble logo and the “Watch What Happens” tagline. The rebrand was led by Bravo president Lauren Zalaznick and marketing chief Jason Klarman, and it earned the BDA Gold award for logo design.[2] The new logo and tagline were meant to convey the cable channel’s focus on edgy, creative fare.[3]
In June 2009, Bravo launched a pop art-inspired multiplatform redesign that replaced the “Watch What Happens” tagline with “By Bravo.”[4] The network described the change as transforming the signature talk bubble logo “from a television message, ‘Watch What Happens,’ to a position of curation and ownership, ‘By Bravo.'”[5] The new look was introduced June 23, 2009, with the launch of the docu-series “NYC Prep.”[4]
On February 7, 2017, Bravo unveiled its current logo as part of an on-air and digital refresh.[6] The revised mark replaced the bright blue speech bubble with a black-and-white version featuring a sleeker font and rectangular shape.[7] Amy Troiano, Bravo’s senior VP of creative, said the last look change had been seven years prior and that it was “time to take a modern look at how we were presenting ourselves.”[7]
Meaning and Symbolism
The talk bubble shape has been a consistent element of Bravo’s identity since the 2005 rebrand. When the logo was modernized in 2017, Troiano said keeping the talk bubble was important: “We knew we wanted to keep that. We didn’t want to lose it, but we were happy to see it change and modernize it.”[6] The 2017 refresh also shifted the network’s color palette to be more gender-neutral, part of a continued effort to bring male viewers to the network.[7]
Typography and Design
The 2017 logo uses a sleeker font than its predecessor, set within a rectangular talk bubble shape in black and white.[7] Troiano explained that the creative team wanted a network image that would prioritize footage over graphics: “This is a way to give a very direct, to the point, no-clutter look at Bravo and our programming.”[7]
Logo Index is an independent educational archive covering logos, visual identities and graphic design history. All trademarks and brand assets remain the property of their respective owners.
