NBC Begins Using New Bug, Snipes, While Possible Hint Of New Vanity Card Surface

NBC continued the gradual rollout of its updated branding, including a new bug, snipes, and a possible preview of its new vanity card animation.

A preview clip for “America’s Got Talent All-Stars” tweeted on Dec. 20, 2022, revealed an animated sequence that uses a new look and updated sound.

See the full version on Giphy

The new animation moves through a gradient of blue, purple, yellow and red backgrounds as the colors inside the peacock in the center of the screen move through a mix of shades using sideways motion .

The logo’s vertical lock, which includes both the peacock and updated typography that leverages a bolder version of the network’s NBC Tinker custom font, slowly grows slightly larger throughout the footage.

Meanwhile, an updated version of NBC Chimes is noticeably more acoustic, with louder notes that have more reverb.

Towards the end of the sequence, the animation changes to concentric circles bounded by a subtle gradient of the six peacock colors, creating a look that looks a bit like ripples in water.

In some ways, it looks like the rings are meant to echo the updated audio signature, though they don’t, at least in this version, match where the notes strike.

The end of the sequence’s background changes from the bright colors of the start to darker shades, finally landing in a not-quite-black hue, with the logo taking on a subtle blue-violent glow.

Many elements of the new animation, especially the ringtone effects, echo those found on the network’s updated social media avatars, as shown above.

It’s not immediately clear if this animation will replace the “NBC Presents” vanity card that features in front of most primetime programming on the network. NewscastStudio has contacted NBC for clarification on this matter, but has not heard back as of this publication.

NBC, however, seemed to stop inserting the old “gift” card during most programs.

In another step of rolling out the new branding, the new logo and logotype also started appearing on the bottom left of the screen.

Unlike the previous vertical version with “NBC” under the peacock, the new design features a horizontal layout.

See the full version on Giphy

There is also a colorful animation that can be used as an input sequence, again using a strip of colors from the peacock in gradients that also leverages lateral movement.

The bug fades using the semi-transparent look that’s used most of the time, but only appears that way very briefly before a subtle left-to-right animation reveals the colors and fills in the letters “NBC ” in plain white.

In some cases, the bug then disappears, pen by pen and letter by letter from right to left to make way for a snipe.

These snipes continue the theme of color gradients, using them as a way to make the element stand out and increase the readability of the text compared to the image behind it.

The gradient comes from the bottom left corner of the screen, but it’s wider than it is tall, which makes sense given that it should accommodate things like a program name, the date and time, the first line of text is usually bolder and set in one color.

Snipes also use a standalone peacock feather turned sideways as a kind of pointer element that jumps from the first line to the second, serving as a way to draw the eye from one level to the next.

When the snipes come out, the color bug briefly reappears before fading away in a right-to-left swipe, back to the semi-transparent version.

NBC, like most networks, continues to allow local stations to insert their own bug for a few seconds at designated times, so the entry of the bug and snipe may be delayed by this. The video and animation shown here does not include the local bug insert.

NBC previously confirmed to NewscastStudio that the rollout of the new logo and branding elements will be gradual, with much of the look set to solidify in early 2023.