ABOUT

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
THE BRIEF:
BBC Studios was tasked to transform BBC First into BBC NL, and make it an accessible future proofed Dutch destination for curated, premium, British content.
BBC First had low brand awareness after ten years in the Netherlands. Viewers were unaware we were locally curated and subtitled, with perceptions of a high brow British export.
We collaborated with a Dutch agency to ensure all aspects of BBC NL would be rooted in both cultures, challenge expectations and invite the Dutch in.

MEDIUMS:
Broadcast, Digital, Social, VOD, 2D Design, 3D Design.

CONCEPT
A ‘Surprisingly Simple’ identity combined Dutch design ethos, doing a lot with a little, with the depth and flair of British storytelling.
Built from one iconic BBC block with four brand expressions: Calm, Effortless, Quirky and Surprising, the motion system effortlessly balances structure with surprise and flexibility.
By pairing elegant British colours with bold Dutch accents, each layout and animation guides the eye, creating an accessible and relatable identity rooted in both cultures.

EXECUTION
We collaborated with a Dutch agency to ensure all aspects of BBC NL would be rooted in both cultures, challenge expectations and invite the Dutch in.
Our ‘Surprisingly Simple’ identity took one iconic BBC block, and paired it with four brand expressions: Calm, Effortless, Quirky and Surprising, to offer flexibility across all platforms. Elegant British base tones meet bold Dutch accents, ensuring every layout and animation effortlessly balances structure with surprise, and guides the eye.
Our warm, effortless, charming tone of voice surprises by speaking conversationally. Our tagline, The Best of your British Neighbours introduces us in a friendly, welcoming way.
To stand out in crowded market, we created a relatable brand rooted in the best of both cultures.

RESULTS
We have seen a clear impact since our transformation from BBC First to BBC NL, with daily viewership of our channel growing by 22% in our commercial demographic (25-59yrs). That means over 2 million Dutchies now watch BBC NL every month.
BBC NL is now in the top 10 channels in market and ranked the number 1 international channel.
Average time spent on the channel has increased by 19% since launch.
Audience testing demonstrated a significant boost in perception of the channel, as curated and localised for the Dutch, jumping from 19% to 28%.
Brand awareness has gone up to 73% in the market.
On social media our audience have been very vocal about liking this change of identity: “Great Channel, I’m addicted…” “My Number 1” “My TV is always on NL, wonderful British series” and our content is now reaching over 300K people organically.
We have also secured our digital growth plans with two new affiliate partners now interested in taking on BBC NL+.