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Cape Town – M-Net re-positioning its youth channel VUZU (DStv 116) towards family-oriented programming.
The channel rebranded on-air look was rolled out on Friday.
The new black disk logo with white lettering completely does away with the skewed "V", together with a more elegant looking and sophisticated black title boards used for upcoming programming promos and ads.
THE NEW LOGO LOOKS LIKE THIS:
Channel24 asked VUZU about the on-air brand change and found out that a company called Wicked Pixels is responsible for the idea and came up with the design after M-Net asked for the VUZU identity refresh.
When asked why M-Net decided to change the VUZU logo and look, Ryan van Heerden, M-Net's PR manager for local entertainment channels, says "VUZU underwent a content revamp in 2018, now with a more family-orientated feel in its programming. You'll notice more family sitcoms alongside local reality shows like My Kitchen Rules and Wedding Bashers airing on channel 116 now."
Lowena Waries, M-Net's marketing manager for youth and music channels says "the new channel imaging reflects VUZU's new positioning, which speaks to a broader audience base. This new imaging will connect the brand with the targeted audience. The aim was to create a beautiful, sophisticated, aspirational brand".
When M-Net re-branded VUZU AMP, the higher-tiered version of VUZU as 1Magic (DSTV 103) at the beginning of the year, M-Net said it will look whether VUZU will remain as a brand. M-Net then said, "for now VUZU on 116 will remain as a channel as we will communicate should there be any changes to that channel".
The latest VUZU rebrand indicates that M-Net remains serious about retaining the channel and the name identity and doesn't have plans to shut it down.
Asked again over the weekend what the future currently is of VUZU and if M-Net feels strongly about the channel and the name and investment in the channel as something important, Ryan van Heerden says "VUZU remains a valued M-Net property".
