Client Overview

Cartoon Network is an American cable television channel that has contributed some of the best animated productions to hit the airways. Since its inception, the channel has established itself as edgy and a bit out-of-the-box, setting itself apart from its more traditional peers. For 30 consecutive years, the channel has served as a platform for both popular and up & coming animations with various programs catering to both child and adult audiences.

Production Ethos

With the recent celebration of the channel’s 30th anniversary, as well as the controversy surrounding its merger with Discovery+, now is the perfect time for a rebrand. The world was misinformed about Cartoon Network being shut down, but the thought of the channel coming to an untimely end brought about a wave of nostalgia. Reminding many of how much “CN” has contributed to the world of animation many of us grew up with. This sonic rebrand was produced to show the world that CN isn’t just here to stay, it’s actually better than ever. It does this by calling back to previous sonic elements that CN has used in the past.

Sonic Elements

Currently, the channel has a very upbeat sound that, while great for its child audience, strays from the brand image that once appealed to both kids and adults. In the first half of my production, the bass and hip-hop inspired beats do a lot of the heavy lifting in bringing back that mature feeling. This is balanced out with dreamy synths that are reminiscent of a sort of child-like wonder. The production is then stripped to those dreamy elements mid-way to transition into the uptempo theme music. The uptempo theme music incorporates more dreamy sonic elements such as bells and gliding synths. These sonic elements work together to express that Cartoon Network will transport anyone, of any age, to a different world.