Telemundo on Monday is rolling out its most ambitious rebranding effort ever.
A consumer-focused, off-air marketing campaign kicks off with network executives ringing the NASDAQ opening bell and goes on to include a takeover of Times Square; an impromptu flash mob of dancers performing in the street; the set up of a studio in the heart of Military Island; and even the premiere of a new anthem, El poder de la T, by an upcoming Puerto Rican singer.
The events of Dec. 10 are the culmination of a year-long effort that involved several focus group studies nationwide; a handful of brand consultants; and work from London-based creative agency DixonBaxi, which ultimately yielded an edgier onscreen identity for the Hispanic TV network.
“This is truly going to redefine how Hispanic television looks and feel,” said Jacqueline Hernández, COO of Telemundo Media. “The new identity provides the ideal environment for our content to really come to life.”
At the heart of the rebranding is Telemundo’s new “T” representing what Hernández calls “the duality of our Hispanic identity,” or finding the balance between the viewer’s Latin roots and the contemporary mindset of living in the U.S.
“We looked at pitches from a lot of companies –and countries,” added Susan Solano, executive vice president of marketing at Telemundo Media, noting the proposal by DixonBaxi simply “blew us away.”
Telemundo’s new identity also does away with the one-tagline approach and instead employs a “tagline system” using the letter “T” (which is pronunced ‘te’ in Spanish) to serve as a double entendre connecting both T, the brand and "Te," the viewer, through multiple on-air applications, such as: T informa (it informs you;) Te conecta (it connect you) and so on.
The network will not disclose the amount spent on the effort -- its first in over a decade -- but Solano said it was “much more than we have ever spent in any campaign... by a lot.”
Telemundo’s consumer campaign comes on the heels of yet another major rebranding effort: Competitor Univision last week announced the upcoming relaunch of Telefutura as UniMás, premiering Jan. 7, 2013.
