Sky News is a major free-to-air television news channel from the United Kingdom that offers round-the-clock broadcast service around the world. Founded by the media mogul Rupert Murdoch on February 5th, 1989, the visual identity of the company had undergone several logo transformations. These changes reflect the channel’s commitment to staying modern and visually appealing. Besides, these logo changes align with the technological advancements and audience preferences of the period. The article delves into the various logo changes undertaken by Sky News over the years.
The Genesis of the Sky News Logo (1989)
The first logo of Sky News emphasised simplicity and professionalism. The design featured bold typography and a straightforward layout that was suitable for the channel’s focus on delivering breaking news around the clock. It featured a white square and a circle with soft blue borders. A two-level text arrangement comprising the brand name appeared at the very centre.
The word “Sky” in uppercase and a bold block font had interconnected letters in the top row. The second word, “News”, in a thin serif typeface in uppercase, appeared below. The letters of the word “N,” “E,” and “W” were connected at the top.
(1989 – 1990)
In the same year, another logo iteration saw the earlier white square and circle with blue borders redone using a brown-coloured background with a gradient. The inner circle was made thicker in shades of silver and brown with the brand name in two levels placed inside. The brand name “Sky” in uppercase was shown in a silver colour scheme, while “News” was shown in a golden hue.
(1990 – 1993)
In 1990, the logo retained the previous design but was presented in a different colour scheme. For instance, the background colour of the square and circle appeared in a combination of dark blue and azure. The brand name in two levels appeared in turquoise (Sky) and light yellow (News).
(1993 – 1995)
The 1993 logo design by GRFX/Novocom did not repeat the previous designs. For instance, the word “Sky” in white uppercase with grey shadows, though appearing inside a blue-silver ring, was placed on top of a vertical rectangle in grey. And close to the centre of the vertical rectangle was placed a horizontal rectangle with the partial image of the world map. At the centre of the horizontal rectangle was placed the word “News” in black uppercase with grey and white shadows to evoke a 3D effect.
(1995 – 1997)
The 1995 logo designed by Novocom saw the vertical rectangle in blue with a white oval at the top. Against the white background of the oval was mentioned the slanted word “Sky” in blue. The word “News” in a much bigger size and executed in a normal sans-serif typeface appeared in white with black rims.
(1997 – 1998)
In 1997, the vertical rectangle was removed, and only the blue oval with the word “Sky” was there, along with the word “News” in a black sans-serif typeface below.
(1998 – 2001)
The 1998 logo designed by Pittard Sullivan featured a wide rectangle divided into three parts, with each having its unique colour shade. The top part in purple featured the word “Sky” in white uppercase and in an Optima Bold typeface. At the centre was a curved strip of yellow followed by the word “News” below in a white, sans-serif typeface against a red background.
(2001 – 2002)
From the 2001 iteration, the two-level text was abandoned. Instead, the logo featured a horizontal rectangle with a one-line inscription in lowercase. The colours dark blue and scarlet divided the rectangle into two halves and the words “Sky” and “news” with rounded corners inside.
(2002 – 2005)
The 2002 logo design retained the previous design, including the shape and colour. However, the colour palette was a little subdued. Also, the border of the rectangle and the curved line inside received a darker tone to offer a 3D effect.
(2005 – 2007)
The 2005 logo redesign saw the horizontal rectangle given different contrasting colours – red and white. In fact, the word “News” on the right in red uppercase was placed inside a smaller white rectangle. On the other hand, the word “Sky” in uppercase appeared on the left side in white against a red background.
(2007 – 2008)
The 2007 logo redesign saw the colours of the previous design switched. So, the word “Sky” appeared in red and the word “News” in white. Besides, there were shadows and reflections, which turned the logo voluminous to look at.
(2008 – 2010)
In 2008, the red section of the logo became bigger without the white frame around it. Further, the double line around the perimeter of the rectangle and the rounded corners gave the logo a semblance of the 3D effect. Also, the dark red colour in the previous logo was changed to bright scarlet.
(2010 – 2013)
In this iteration, the word “Sky” in lowercase was made black, while the word “News” in white uppercase was made bigger. The shading around the edges of the rectangle was made more intense, especially near the top of the red section.
(2013 – 2015)
In the 2013 iteration, the horizontal rectangle became narrower and the colours lighter. The shading and lighting effects were tweaked to ensure the logo looks 3D.
(2015 – 2018)
In 2015, the letter endings of both the words were rounded, and the semi-oval in the background was darkened and shifted a little lower within the horizontal rectangle.
(2018 – 2021)
In the 2018 logo iteration, the word “news” appeared in lowercase and in a smaller size. Also, the shading and gradients were toned down, and the horizontal rectangle was made a bit darker, especially its lower half. The whole rectangle was given a thin grey frame.
(2021 – Present)
In 2021, the thin grey frame of the previous logo iteration was removed. Consequently, the logo appears more modern, eye-catching, and simpler. Besides, the dark red shade appears to be considerably lighter.
The Elements of the Sky News Logo
Font
The logo features both words in distinct fonts, with no instance of them aligning perfectly. This design choice aims to capture the attention of viewers for both elements simultaneously. It allows them to be recognised as different aspects of a unified identity. The logos have frequently utilised fonts such as Optima Bold, Sky Text (created by Miles Newlyn), Univers Black, Beginner Bolds, and similar Auro Bold variants.
Colour
The colour palette encompasses various shades of blue and red, along with black, grey, silver, and white. For a brief period, the brand identity also incorporated dark purple, gold, bright yellow, carrot orange, and beige.
Finally
The Sky News logo and its various logo redesigns showcase how branding can adapt over time while maintaining core identity elements. From its original design in 1989 to its refined typography in 2018, Sky News has continually updated its visual identity to remain relevant in an ever-changing media landscape.