Channel 4 launches new ident for IAAF World Athletics Championships
Channel 4 is tonight launching a new ident for the IAAF World Athletics Championships, featuring Usain Bolt, the world’s fastest man.
The ident, which will show Bolt being transformed into the Channel 4 logo, was created by the channel’s 4Creative department, and is the first time one of the channel’s idents has used a person.
Channel 4 will be showing exclusive coverage of the 2011 IAAF World Athletics Championships, which take place from 27 August to 4 September in Daegu, South Korea.
The ident shows Bolt walking along the track in a crowded stadium after winning a race, striking his signature ‘lightning bolt' pose. As the camera pans around Bolt, the angle of his pose creates the illusion of a Channel 4 logo.
Tom Tagholm, Channel 4's network creative director, said: “This is the first 4 ident to star a human being, and who better to choose than the fastest guy on the planet. It's a great coup for the Channel and 4Creative, and a huge privilege to work with a true sporting legend.
“Technically it was a challenge - Usain had to be shot on a tennis court next to a secret training facility with the entirety of the stadium, the crowd and the 4 elements added in post. Our production and post teams pulled out all the stops to create real magic.”
After launching tonight, the ident will be shown in rotation with other idents in the run up to the championships.