Animal Planet Logo PNG
The Animal Planet logo is playful and graceful. It conveys a love for animals and admiration for their abilities. The emblem represents the channel from an unusual perspective and with an unusual mission.
Animal Planet launched in the United States on June 1, 1996, as a joint venture between Discovery Communications and BBC Worldwide. Discovery created the channel as it expanded beyond Discovery Channel and focused on wildlife, pets, and family-oriented nature documentaries. BBC supplied much of the early factual programming.
The first logo featured an elephant on a green rectangle, with a circle above it to reference the planet. In 2006, BBC Worldwide sold its 20 percent stake in the US channel back to Discovery Communications. The same year, Troika Group updated the identity, making the lettering white and giving the elephant a more active look. BBC kept stakes in several international versions until November 15, 2010, when Discovery bought them for $156 million.
By 2007, Animal Planet was facing declining prime-time ratings, and in 2008 the channel changed direction. It moved toward tougher shows about predators, animal-related professions, and dramatic factual series. The 2010 slogan “Surprisingly Human” reflected a stronger focus on human stories around animals. River Monsters became a major program during that period. At the same time, National Geographic Channel worked in a similar factual-entertainment space.
In 2012, Animal Planet drew wide attention with Mermaids: The Body Found and later with Mermaids: The New Evidence. This fictional, documentary-style project set a ratings record and sparked debate about the format. The channel also built a yearly US TV tradition with Puppy Bowl on Super Bowl day. In 2018, Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv created a new blue-and-white logo with a jumping baby elephant. Since 2022, Animal Planet has operated within Warner Bros. Discovery after the Discovery and WarnerMedia merger.
Meaning and History
Animal Planet always sets important global goals, which are reflected in the channel’s logos. The emblems convey a love for animals, concern for their safety, and a desire to share the magical world around them with others. That’s why almost all the logos feature animals. The elephant is preferred: a large, endangered species that has walked alongside humans for centuries, serving them yet facing undeserved attacks for profit. The planet symbolizes globality.
What is Animal Planet?
A cable television channel about animals that broadcasts adventure films, reality shows, and nature-focused programs. It is famous for its wild-animal documentaries. In the US alone, 91 million families subscribe to the channel.
1994 – 1996
The emblem was presented during marketing research before the channel launched. The idea was mulled over for two years.
The first Animal Planet logo is bright and expressive. It is filled with love and passion for the topic. It is a red circle with a white paw print and a thin inscription in capital letters on two levels.
The red color conveys global reach. The project began in partnership with BBC Worldwide and gradually expanded to 70 countries.
The shade refers to the pressing issue of wildlife extinction. The channel’s team collaborates with various animal protection organizations, supports their work, and discusses rare and endangered species.
The palette promises spectacular views. Filming in the wild is unique. People can see moments that are inaccessible to the eye, unknown to city dwellers.
The paw print represents:
- Animals’ attempt to greet. A “high five” and a “Hello! We’re here, nearby.”
- A plaster cast that remains of species disappearing from the face of the Earth.
- “We’re following animal tracks.” Operators follow animals for months at a time, remaining unnoticed.
White symbolizes novelty. People learn something new. After watching the programs, a person’s understanding of fauna will never be the same.
The capital letters in the inscription underscore the importance of the chosen mission.
1996 – 2006
By the time the channel launched in 1996, the emblem had been completely revised, adopting calmer, “natural” colors and replacing the paw print with an elephant.
The logo changed its shape from a circle to a green rectangle. This choice is meant to convey the mission. The harmonious circle hardly corresponded to the scientific films and acute problems highlighted in the broadcasts.
The lower part of the rectangle contains a white stripe on which the television channel’s name is written in two levels, in green letters. In the upper part, a white silhouette of an elephant walks, raising its trunk toward a white circle.
The elephant evokes exoticism, Africa, and the savannah. These concepts trigger most people to think of wild nature. However, elephants are not predators, so they don’t evoke fear. These animals are giants, resonating with the theme of the planet belonging to them. Humans are a small part of the fauna. This thought aligns entirely with the channel’s motto about 2 million species of living creatures, including humans.
The white circle symbolizes the Sun or the Moon. Possibly, both celestial bodies indicate that animals were filmed at different times of the day. The logo’s overall appearance resembles a magazine cover. The first shows were more journalistic and encyclopedic. The emblem reflects this feature and is prophetic: since 2011, the Animal Planet magazine has been published by Discovery, Inc. and DC Thomson.
2006 – 2008
In 2006, Discovery became the channel’s sole owner after BBC Worldwide sold its share. One consequence was a minor rebranding by the Troika Design Group. The title letters changed to white, and the Moon/Sun circle became an image of Earth, suggesting the elephant isn’t merely walking but seems to be juggling the planet.
2008 – 2018
Starting in 2008, the channel changed its policy. It expanded its documentaries with reality shows, stories about people involved in animal study and breeding, and more aggressive documentary work to regain viewer interest. They also rebranded, altering the familiar elephant image. The designer Dunning Eley Jones was invited to create a new visual identity.
The emblem featured the name on two levels, with a large capital A spanning “two floors” and the letter M tipped over. The rotation of the M transformed it into an image of:
- A winding road. The green color complemented the impression, evoking grass, a path, and nature. The emphasis indicated that the channel prefers to show animals in their natural habitat and favors true stories. It announced the launch of shows about the life paths of individual animal representatives.
- The inverted Greek letter sigma denotes summation. The channel aims to show general trends and cover a wide range of animals.
The letter’s “fall” also reflects the complex environmental conditions that drive species extinction and the global mistakes humanity makes toward our smaller brethren who depend on us.
The large A emphasizes animals’ enormous significance to life on Earth. The channel shows their contribution to the ecosystem and their value. This technique shows the channel’s dedication to the animal world.
2018 – today
The rebranding marked a shift in the channel’s strategy: bringing people closer to the animal world and eliciting joy and wonder through observation. A corresponding emblem was chosen – a leaping baby elephant with the channel’s name written in lowercase letters below. After viewers reacted negatively to the previous symbol, the Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv agency created a more positive logo.
A jumping animal provokes surprise, as people often see elephants as heavy and cumbersome. The TV channel’s mission is to present species from a new perspective and reveal the hidden qualities that make living creatures unique.
Font and Colors
The logo’s main shades are green, white, and blue.
- White represents novelty and the channel’s establishment.
- Green highlights the focus on nature.
- Blue represents the sky, dreams, and purity. It reflects the mission and global goal of all Animal Planet programs.
The smooth, small letters symbolize harmony. The channel makes its modest contribution to enlightening people and the future of the Earth.