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. The channel was created during Discovery’s expansion beyond Discovery Channel and focused on wildlife, pets, and family-oriented nature documentaries. BBC supplied a large part 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 U.S. 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 one of the major programs of 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 U.S. 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 of the logos feature images of animals. In logos, preference is given to the elephant, a large, endangered species that has walked alongside humans for many centuries, serving them yet subject to undeserved attacks for profit. The choice of the planet symbolizes globality.
What is Animal Planet?
A cable television channel about animals that broadcasts adventure films, reality shows, and programs dedicated to nature. It is famous for its documentaries about the life of wild fauna. In the US alone, the channel is subscribed to by 91 million families.
1994 – 1996
The emblem was presented during marketing research conducted before the channel’s launch. 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 the British BBC Worldwide and gradually spread 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 from species that are disappearing from the face of the Earth.
- “We’re following animal tracks.” Operators follow animals for months at a time, remaining unnoticed.
White color is a symbol of 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. The choice is associated with indicating 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, there’s a white silhouette of an elephant walking, raising its trunk towards a white circle.
The elephant is associated with exoticism, Africa, and the savannah. These concepts trigger most people to think of wild nature. However, elephants are not predators, so there’s no feeling of 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 is reminiscent of 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 sole owner of the channel after BBC Worldwide sold its share. One of the consequences was a minor rebranding conducted by the Troika Design Group. The color of the letters in the title changed to white, and the Moon/Sun’s circle became a picture of the Earth, suggesting that the elephant is not merely walking but seemingly juggling the planet.
2008 – 2018
Starting in 2008, the channel changed its policy. It expanded its documentaries with various reality shows, stories about people involved in the study and breeding of animals, and more aggressive documentary work to regain viewer interest. They also carried out a rebranding, altering the familiar elephant image. The designer Dunning Eley Jones was invited to create a new visual identity.
The emblem consisted of the name on two levels, with a large capital letter A spanning “two floors” and the letter M toppled over. The rotation of 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 representatives of fauna.
- An inverted Greek letter sigma, which denotes summation. The channel aims to show general trends and cover a wide range of animals.
The “fall” of the letter also demonstrates the complexity of environmental conditions that drive species extinction and the global mistakes humanity makes regarding our smaller brethren who depend on us.
The large A indicates the enormous significance of animals to life on Earth. The channel shows their contribution to the ecosystem and their value. This technique demonstrates that the shows are dedicated 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.
The sight of a jumping animal provokes surprise, as people often perceive elephants as heavy and cumbersome. The TV channel’s mission is to present species from a new perspective, revealing the hidden qualities that make living creatures unique.
Font and Colors
The main shades of the logo are green, white, and blue.
- White represents novelty and the establishment of the channel.
- Green highlights the focus on nature.
- Blue is a shade of sky, dreams, and purity. It demonstrates the existence of a mission, a global goal in all Animal Planet programs.
Smooth, small letters in the font symbolize harmony. The channel makes its modest contribution to enlightening people and the future of the Earth.