MUMBAI: Viacom International Media Networks’ MTV International, recently launched a rebrand of the network from ‘I want my MTV’ to a new approach dubbed ‘I am my MTV’. Through this, the brand aims to encourage audience and talent to upload online media, which will be integrated into network’s programming. In addition to this initiative, international MTV networks will also encourage its viewers and artists to select videos created by them, which will be broadcast during on-air TV programming and on other platforms.
In a report on Digital Spy, Viacom International Media Networks, senior VP – youth and music, Kerry Taylor said, “’I am my MTV’ is about opening up our brand to our audience so they can create the brand as well. It is also opening it up to artists so they can participate.”
To support the rebranding, the network plans to start the new #MTVbump initiative. For this, MTV has partnered with B-Reel Creative to connect the internet to the network’s linear broadcast system. This will result in a new content management system that allows social media videos on Instagram or Vines to be shared on Twitter with the hashtag, #MTVbump.
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MTV will collect, select and curate videos, filtering for local relevance, pop culture topicality or other factors. The MTVbump website will also showcase the ‘bumps’ that have made it on-air around the world. Through this, fans will engage directly with MTV, while artists will use it connect with fans. “It gives us a really great way to access talent and also for our audience to access talent, so imagine you bump into One Direction at the airport – you can create a video and send that into us,” Taylor said on MTV bump.
Following MTV bump, the network will also launch MTV Canvas, which is an online sticker book app allowing users to create their own idents and get name-checked when they are used on-screen. MTV has also invited artists to create new idents called ‘Art Breaks’ with an open brief. These artists include Thomas de Rijk from Amsterdam, Device from Barcelona, Johnny Woods from Los Angeles, Katie Torn from New York, Eva Papamargariti from Greece, Tokyo’s Brdg and The Great Nordic Swordfights from Los Angeles. More will be added in an ongoing basis.
On MTV Canvas, Taylor said, “I think at this moment in time we do not know which is going to be the most exciting for our audience, we do not know whether it is going to be #MTVBump or Canvas and what is going to trigger people.”
MTV will also refurbish promotional content for its programmes to prevent them from becoming too “traditional” and will collaborate with artists on further idents to achieve the same, added Taylor. She further elaborated on the change by stating, “We are really, really excited about it. It will look different in different places and it is just exciting. We hope that for the audience they will really enjoy the fact that it is super pop culture, it is fun, we do not take ourselves too seriously and it is ever-changing… This is really about a philosophy and a way of approaching our identity so the hope would be that in the next 6-9 months it looks completely different!”
When asked whether the change would be implemented on MTV India, the Viacom India executives made no comment. However, sources close to the network speculate that the changes might be implemented, in parts, over the next few months.
