Culture & Media

Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie (VRT) is the public broadcaster to the Flemish community in Belgium. For over 90 years, VRT has been an integral part of Belgian society. It remains a prolific producer of varied content and houses the VRT NWS service, VRT MAX streaming platform, two TV channels, five radio stations, and a diverse array of new media formats. From public service information to cultural insights, educational content, entertainment and sports coverage, VRT offers a broad spectrum of programming.

MAKING AN ENDURING PROMISE RELEVANT AGAIN

Faced with commercial competitors, big international contenders and the fast-moving media landscape, national broadcasters around the world are finding themselves under continuous pressure to find renewed relevance. VRT and its leadership recognised the need for transformation and chose us to help redefine their role in contemporary Flemish society.
We immediately saw an opportunity to elevate VRT from a hidden player to a national icon. Our aim was to create a brand that would bring them closer to the public while helping everyone in Flanders feel closer to each other. We wanted to re-engage audiences, reminding them that in an increasingly uniform culture, VRT is always relevant, always active, and always there with a promise central to the whole community: to reflect the realities of Flemish life like no one else can.

Our first step was to immerse ourselves in the world of VRT. Engaging with staff from various departments across all levels, we understood that one key question lay at the heart of the project: How do we make the VRT brand more relevant to the lives of everyone in Flanders?
The key to finding renewed relevance was understanding the relationship between VRT and the Flemish people; a relationship underpinned by the promise to be close to the lives of everyone in modern Flanders. As the nation’s broadcaster, VRT has been alongside its audience through thick and thin; testament to its enduring public duty. Now, after nearly a century, VRT needed to make a shift.

FINDING NEW INSPIRATION IN BEING FLEMISH

Our aim was to bridge VRT’s past, present and future, empowering them to connect, inform and inspire anyone who comes into contact with the brand. Our first step to achieve this was to find new significance in what it means to be Flemish, today. 
Tracing the word ‘Flemish’ to its linguistic origins, we discovered its original source - flaumaz - a stream, flow or current. This word and its various connotations in VRT’s content-driven world opened the floodgates of inspiration for our team.

From there, we defined a new brand idea: 'Forever Current'. This idea evolves VRT’s central promise to maintain a fluid dialogue with audiences and bring people together; helping them stay active and relevant in the lives of everyone across Flanders, from Antwerp to Zoutleew.

REESTABLISHING THE DIALOGUE BETWEEN BRAND AND AUDIENCE

VRT’s new identity had to reflect the very human promise at the brand’s core. Inspired by the idea of a constant dialogue, we wanted to create a visual world for VRT that enables them to speak to everyone in Flanders.
The result is a scalable, digital-first identity signalling VRT’s shift back into the public eye. With a new, more iconic brand-mark at its heart, it maintains the bold confidence of a protagonist brand while also being open, inviting and close to their audience.

The wider system conveys modern Flemish diversity. It feels vibrant and dynamic, making full use of colour, typography, and motion. Elements work together, embodying the constant dialogue that exists between VRT, their content, and their audiences. Each is designed to interact intuitively within the identity, offering varied and flexible expressions.

BECOMING THE HEART OF THE COMMUNITY

Given VRT’s diverse range of existing brands, we also needed to explore the relationship between the new, more visible VRT brand and the ecosystem of digital platforms and channels.

We proposed a system that allows VRT to be more present in a community of previously independent brands. By increasing the visibility of the brand, we wanted to help re-establish its relevance in the lives of the Flemish people, showing VRT’s holistic and wide-reaching radio and television productions across streaming, news, and entertainment. Equally important was allowing all of the much-loved channels to maintain their uniqueness within the visual world of VRT.

At the heart of this approach were VRT’s two key digital platforms: their streaming service, VRT MAX, and news service, VRT NWS. Both are clearly and recognisably linked to VRT’s master identity. This puts them in the public eye while also allowing them to express themselves through various communications and content based needs.

THE GO-TO PLACE FOR FLEMISH CULTURE

VRT MAX wanted to bring something new to the world of entertainment and catch-up platforms. Going beyond just on-demand video, VRT MAX would be the go-to place for Flemish culture – for audio and video, short and long format.

At the top of our minds for MAX was elevating their content with dynamic behaviours that felt both empathetic and exciting. To do this, we built an extensive motion library giving MAX the ability to be the perfect companion – seamlessly showcasing an ever-changing and ever-growing world of entertainment. 
The resulting visual world is a perfect balance of connection and independence, with each identity reflecting its own personality. It speaks directly to its respective audience while still feeling unmistakably close to VRT’s community of content and channels.

There's more to it

With the launch of VRT MAX, the mobile, desktop and TV experiences were aligned to its new proposition. The unveiling was used as the biggest signal of the VRT rebrand, ushering in a new era of digital-first video, on-demand listening and as the place for innovative forms of media.

While VRT MAX was redefining the role of a steaming service, there was an equally big transformation happening at VRT NWS, as it looked to move beyond informing.

From informing to entertaining

With their commitment to accessible, reliable and actionable journalism, VRT NWS looked to re-establish their relationship with their existing audiences and connect to new ones. By renewing existing programming and building new platforms, VRT NWS has improved their coverage of the stories that matter to them and their audiences.

We adapted the VRT toolkit and prioritised clarity and precision. We gave stories the space to come to life through engagement and dialogue that goes beyond simply informing.

RETHINKING HOW NEWS IS SHARED

With the new VRT NWS brand, it enabled the expansion of the expression of its identity to work across their content brands. This enabled continuity yet flexibility for their daily news shows, investigative journalism programmes, panel discussion and youth-based platforms.

Working with the VRT NWS team, the new identity informed not only the identity and titling sequences, but the redesign of their news multifunctional studios.

This is only the beginning of our ongoing relationship with VRT. We continue implementing and evolving the new strategy and design system across VRT’s platforms, portfolio of TV and radio brands and content.

KEN DE KEYSER

In our ongoing collaborative effort, Saffron has been guiding VRT towards a more consolidated, ‘forever current’ future. By defining strategic foundations, roadmap and a sustainable, holistic design system that reflects our core identity and values, we’ve been able to bring clarity for our audiences in a fast-moving media landscape. In doing so, we’ve been able to start the transformation of VRT from a corporate entity, to an engaging, consumer-facing media brand.

Head of Branding and Design, VRT

Content: Courtesy of <a href="https://www.vrt.be/nl/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">VRT</a> Cultural and local design support: <a href="https://www.skinn.be/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Skinn</a> Broadcast branding: <a href="https://www.gedeon.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"></a><a href="https://www.gedeon.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Gédéon</a> Translation and messaging: <a href="https://www.lucyagency.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Lucy</a>

Still want to know more? <a href="https://saffron-consultants.com/contact" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Get in touch.</a>

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