Title	EUROVISION: 2021 BROADCAST BRANDING
Brand	EUROVISION
Product/Service	EUROVISION SONG CONTEST
Category	A02. Rebrand / Refresh of an existing Brand
Entrant	MEDIA.MONKS Hilversum, THE NETHERLANDS
Idea Creation	MEDIA.MONKS Hilversum, THE NETHERLANDS
Additional Company	NEP Hilversum, THE NETHERLANDS
Additional Company 2	CLEVER°FRANKE Utrecht, THE NETHERLANDS

Name	Company	Position
Jonny Singh	Media.Monks	Brand Design Director
Frank Gouwy	Media.Monks	Brand Lead Designer
Stephan van den Brink	Media.Monks	Senior Brand Designer
Gaia van der Zeyp	Media.Monks	Brand Designer
Declan Bryne	Media.Monks	Animation Director
Sophie Smolders	Media.Monks	Animation Producer
Jochem Haverkamp	NEP	N/A
Gert Franke	CleverFranke	Co-Founder & Managing Director

Background

We worked with Dutch broadcaster NEP to bring Eurovision 2021 to life, following the cancellation of its 2020 edition due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After a year without the show, we wanted to ensure it came back with a bang—and a brand new look. Our task was to refresh Eurovision’s brand identity, upgrade the show’s motion GFX and devise its influencer promotion strategy. Taking inspiration from the show's new logo, we wanted to create a fresh and colourful experience that accurately represents the diverse cultural identities of Eurovision’s participants. Building this hybrid event, we wanted to strike the perfect balance between tangible and intangible. Everything needed to work for both the artists on stage and the viewers watching at home. Ensuring coherence, we took the concept of ‘opening up’ and the sense of connection Eurovision evokes to create a seamless outward expression that opens up to reveal content information.

Describe the creative idea (40% of vote)

Showcasing the musical talents of Europe, Australia and Israel, Eurovision is the world’s biggest musical event and a show infused with cultural relevance and excitement. With over 200 million viewers worldwide, Eurovision 2021 was Europe’s largest in-person entertainment event since the pandemic struck. This meant we had to appeal to a very diverse audience. To do so, we designed colourful animated motion graphics—such as bumpers, title cards, wipes, split-screens and scoreboards—that kept the audience informed throughout the night. Our designs focused on versatility and made sure our motion graphics had interchangeable colours, so we could display the participants’ national flag colours throughout the show. Eurovision 2021 was hosted in the Netherlands and we paid tribute to that with subtle easter eggs and more obvious nods to Dutch culture throughout Eurovision’s branding and title sequences. This ensured that the Netherlands’ style and colours were transmitted far and wide.

Describe the execution (40% of vote)

The redesign was key to the brand, so we made sure to study Eurovision’s previous shows and apply the most important elements from there, while going for a simplified style. The stage design was also a huge source of inspiration. We created the Eurovision ‘track’ which served as a foundation for the brand’s language, as it perfectly captures the festivity of Eurovision, while also presenting information along the way. As we worked with multiple formats, we created a fluid design system that helped create cohesive experiences across the board. Our design system went beyond the logo and served to bring the show’s vibrancy across all platforms. We considered every element with equal importance and had to think beyond the usual set of touchpoints. Whether we were designing an app icon or a billboard in Rotterdam, we formed an emotional connection with every detail.

List the results (20% of vote)

Leading up to the event, our influencer experts worked to stoke excitement about Eurovision across social media. In collaboration with Eurovision’s Official Travel Partner, Booking.com, we had six famous Dutch influencers take viewers on a one-night staycation in their hometowns. During the event itself, we further enticed Eurovision fans with exclusive behind-the-scenes content. Made with quality and speed, our work graced the screens of more than 200 million viewers worldwide. The festive look and feel we created was vibrant and consistent across all channels and touchpoints. Our influencer promotion strategy and behind the scenes footage helped viewers not only choose to watch the show, but stay engaged from start to finish. All in all, we managed to strike the perfect balance between functionality and personality—using a smart, flexible design system to create a complex hybrid experience that kept viewers entertained throughout Eurovision 2021.