A new Big Brother logo? What? How? Why? Well, incredibly, the reality TV series that started it all is somehow still going in the age of streaming services, with a 20th season soon to start in the UK. That means that the traditional Big Brother eye logo has come in for a revamp. And fans are aghast.
The series seems to have jumped on the retro-maximalist trend but in the worst possible way. Gone is the original iconic eye logo's slightly sinister CCTV-influence, which symbolised the program's concept of all-seeing surveillance state. Instead, it's now a bit of eyesore (see our guide to how to design a logo for tips).
How do you celebrate the 20th edition of a series that transformed television? How about with a logo that leaps off the screen with a chaotic explosion of colourful icons? Five years after Channel 5 ditched the series, ITV, the third UK broadcaster to own the rights to Big Brother, is rebooting the reality TV franchise for a 20th season.
The logo remains the all-seeing eye that has accompanied the series since its launch in 2000. But fans can't believe the new design is real. It features an eye within an eye and a whole bunch of garish icons. Perhaps it's intended to suggest that social media is the new surveillance, which would be kind of clever and timely, but fans aren't convinced.
"Is this the worst Big Brother eye (ever in the world)? Potentially. This whole reboot has had ITV shouting about how they’re keen to stick to the core format, and the roots of Big Brother. Every eye for 10 years was ‘cool’ - psychological and smart. This is the opposite," Super TV wrote on Twitter.
"The ITV logo is giving me ‘Love Island without the fancy location’ vibes, whereas I want to travel back to the ‘IKEA furniture in an open plan cabin in an undisclosed car park’ era," another person wrote. I have a feeling this won't be joining our list of the best TV logos.
