BBC One builds on Martin Parr idents with new lockdown-inspired films

BBC One has launched a new series of idents to reflect the UK’s united isolation, and show how people are connecting during lockdown. The films build on the original Oneness idents by photographer Martin Parr, launched in 2017 as an intended “portrait of modern Britain in all its diversity”. They depicted the eclectic range of hobby clubs and groups around Britain meeting to practice their shared interest – be it birdwatching, bhangra dancing or bog snorkelling.

However, with the images of groups meeting for fun activities now unsuitable for a country in lockdown, the channel has created a new set of idents to represent UK life as it stands, yet still with community at their heart. The first three, released on Friday 1 May, show simultaneous isolated tea breaks, a Sunday league football team still practicing together while staying safe in their respective homes, and an “isolation disco” attended every night by many Brits. While the latter two show more joyful and inventive moments of quarantine, the tea break film simply showing tea cups on their own and not people is intended as “a quieter and more reflective” ident “showing a solitary group of tea cups without anyone to enjoy them and have conversations together,” says the BBC in a press release.

The films were made by BBC Creative, self-shot by participants in lockdown and edited by the broadcaster’s in-house creative team. Five more will be released over the next few weeks. According to the BBC, idents are the most seen channel branding asset on the BBC TV channels, with BBC One idents seen by 34m viewers at least seven times each week.

Helen Rhodes, executive creative director at BBC Creative comments: “Lockdown has bestowed certain restrictions upon us, but the great British public don’t let that stop them from doing the things they love, with the people they love. It’s just that IRL has moved to a URL. We wanted to reimagine our Oneness idents through this new lens and show that despite being apart the nation is more united than ever.”