Noggin Original Logo PNG
An online service with educational cartoons and shows proves that learning can be easy and fun. Therefore, the Noggin Original logo looks positive, even festive. It symbolizes the joy of gaining new knowledge in a relaxed atmosphere.
Noggin’s prehistory began in 1995, when Sesame Workshop, then known as the Children’s Television Workshop, planned an educational cable channel called New Kid City. Nickelodeon, through MTV Networks, was developing a similar project called Big Orange. After discovering the overlap, the two companies formed a partnership in 1998.
Noggin launched on February 2, 1999. Its name came from the slang word for “head,” fitting a channel built around learning and creativity. The channel had no commercials and allowed teachers to record programs for classroom use. Early content came from both owners, including The Electric Company, 3-2-1 Contact, Square One Television, and Ghostwriter from Sesame Workshop, as well as Wild Side Show, Nick News, and Doug from Nickelodeon.
The first version targeted older children and teens, featuring original shows such as A Walk in Your Shoes (1999) and Sponk! (2000). In 2002, the Sesame Workshop sold its 50% stake to Viacom but kept a production partnership. That year, Noggin split into a daytime preschool block and a teen night block called The N. Joint projects included Out There and The Upside Down Show.
On December 31, 2007, the preschool block took over the full schedule, while The N moved to another location. On September 28, 2009, Noggin was replaced by Nick Jr. The brand returned on March 5, 2015, as a preschool streaming app competing with Disney Junior and PBS Kids. It was redesigned in 2019, closed on July 2, 2024, and was sold by Paramount to former executive Kristen Kane. In August 2025, Noggin returned as a new streaming service with original content. Its smiling half-face logo lasted from 1999 to 2019.
Meaning and History
When Noggin Original existed as a TV channel, its owners relied on non-standard presentation. And this concerned not only content but also visual identification. The broadcast aired unique commercials that positioned Noggin as a creative, somewhat experimental brand. For the same purpose, logos made in an abstract style were used.
For a long time, the basis of all emblems was the lower part of a cartoon man’s head. He smiled fervently because he symbolized the channel’s entertainment orientation, its focus on the children’s audience. The character’s eyes were covered by a rectangular plaque that read “NOGGIN,” and the top of the head reflected a certain idea. There were dozens of different badges that were used on the air. Artists got creative freedom, so they created many options for what the little man “thinks” about. But only a few of these images were the channel’s official logos.
Later, when Noggin evolved into a streaming service for educational cartoons and shows, it took on a new visual identity. The iconic head was replaced with a wordmark, decorated in a colorful palette, and set against a lilac background.
What is Noggin Original?
Noggin Original was originally a division of the Noggin television network owned by media conglomerate Viacom and the Children’s Television Workshop. The brand presented two products: an entertainment website and a TV channel for teenagers. In 2002, preschoolers became its target audience. Noggin disappeared in 2009 and was relaunched six years later as an interactive learning service.
1999 – 2000
The first Noggin logo was used in the children’s series Phred on Your Head Show, which Nickelodeon created. The artists depicted a child’s head, with the child covering his eyes with a pink sign bearing the inscription “NOGGIN.” Above the rectangle was a cucumber, and on top was a character named Phred, a green man with ears, eyes, a big nose, a mouth, and legs. According to the backstory, he once lived in a pickle jar in a supermarket. Then the bank fell, and Phred went to explore the world. He jumped into people’s heads until he found his owner, after which the Noggin programs began to show.
In the 1999 emblem, the little man looked up, and in the 2000 version, he was already standing straight. The forms of cucumbers also differed: in the 1999 version, the right side of the cucumber was bent, and in 2000, the left side. The background color changed depending on the splash screen in which the logo was used. At the bottom, copyrights must be indicated.
2000 – 2002
In 2000, a light bulb logo appeared in several Noggin programs. Its top was stylized as the lower part of the head, which turned 180 degrees. The visible part of the face contained a large nose and a smiling mouth. Beneath it was a light-blue rectangle with the TV channel’s name in dark blue. The word “ORIGINAL” was written under the plinth.
The light bulb symbolized a certain idea. To show this, the artists surrounded her with many short lines that resembled the sun’s rays in the style of primitive children’s drawings. It was an imitation of light. The background also contained rays, but they looked different. These were yellow and orange stripes of different shades, diverging from the center to the edges and gradually expanding. One version of the logo included the copyright notice, while the other did not.
2002 – 2007
In 2002, the logo began to be used, which received the unofficial name Mentally Created Tree. The lower part of the smiling face was light green; a white rectangular sign covered the eyes with the green word “NOGGIN.” The second part of the name, “ORIGINAL,” was a little higher. It was written on a translucent, wavy strip among the leaves and branches of a large tree. And on the right and left, the artists depicted cartoon birds. At the bottom, it was copyrighted, but there was a version without it.
2003 – 2007
In the Play with Me Sesame intro, a sign with a cone-shaped horn appeared for a long time. The musical instrument was attached to a tube that protruded from the head. Nearby were abstract flowers and a twisted spiral. The background was adorned with green donut-shaped rings. As before, the word “NOGGIN” was written inside the rectangle. “ORIGINAL,” in turn, was located opposite the cone. The letters were blue and had an unusual shape.
2005 – 2007
In 2005, the gramophone logo was introduced. The vintage record player had a crank and a large horn from which birds flew out. The artists depicted them surrounded by elegant dot patterns and added a white ribbon with the blue word “ORIGINAL.” The inscription “NOGGIN” was in its usual place, but this time it consisted of multi-colored letters. The head was white, the outlines were pink, and the smile was blue. As a background, alternating stripes of light yellow and dark yellow were used, complemented by miniature circles.
2006 – 2008
In 2006, The Upside Down Show featured a new Noggin Original emblem. The letters, the outlines of the head, and the tablet’s frame with the text were dark pink. On top were three gears: two dark blue and one light blue. Copyright information is listed below.
2021 – today
After a long absence, the Noggin Original brand was relaunched in 2015 by a streaming service of the same name. And in 2021, he began using a closing logo that reads “made by noggin,” with all lowercase letters. The first two words are at the top of the line and consist of multi-colored characters. The brand name is located below them. It is completely white. Wavy lines, a musical note, lightning, and a heart are depicted around. The background is lilac.
Font and Colors
All elements of the Noggin Original logo indicate the entertainment nature of this online service. At the same time, the cartoon style hints that the content is intended for children and teenagers. The modern emblem differs from all previous ones by the absence of the famous head with “ideas.” After the rebranding, it was replaced by a wordmark, supplemented by mini-icons that do not carry a special semantic load.
An individual set of glyphs is used for the inscription. This is a modification of the bold sans-serif bubble font. The logo’s color scheme includes white, lilac, light purple, pale green, orange, pink, blue, red, and light green.