How Tubi is rebranding to appeal to Gen Z TV viewers

The 2023 Super Bowl was a breakthrough moment for Tubi, when its bizarre rabbit hole ads grabbed consumer attention for the Fox-owned free ad-supported streamer. Over a year later, the streamer has constructed a new identity around its bunny-themed marketing that is aimed at Gen Z viewers. Check out the latest Ad Age events and award programs The effort comes as Tubi has grown its reach with younger audiences. Tubi reaches more than 78 million monthly active users, according to the streamer. And among that audience, 63% are cable cord-cutters or have never had a cable subscription. In November, research from MRI-Simmons’ Cord Evolution Study found that Tubi had grown its 18-to-34-year-old audience 60% year-over-year and had 55% growth in multicultural audiences, particularly Black, Latino and LGBTQ+ viewers. Female viewership increased 63% compared to the previous year. More news: How TV investment strategies are evolving Tubi has been making efforts to license content and develop new programming that appeals to these demographics. Recent additions include a documentary on WNBA players called “Shattered Glass,” a dramedy about five Black teenagers offered scholarships to a prestigious boarding school called “Boarders” and bringing back bingeable network throwbacks such as “Scandal.” Fresh branding built to appeal to these young, diverse audiences transforms the Tubi logo so that the “T” features a circular shape meant to resemble a hole. The new look was created with design agency DixonBaxi. In motion, the logo dips in and out of another orifice to represent the brand’s “Alice in Wonderland”-esque idea, alongside an ethereal voice chanting the platform’s name. The animation plays when a viewer opens the app, and is meant to represent falling into the rabbit hole from the first moment one clicks the app, said Simone Magurno, VP of design at Tubi. Other streamers’ introductory sounds, such as Netflix’s tudum, have become calling cards with fans. Tubi’s approach, which sings its name, suggests more of an identity than its prior startup-style sound and differentiates it further from other streaming services. “After a person listens to this new sound ID just a couple of times, it sticks in their head,” said Magurno. When balancing potential sounds against competitors, Tubi explored alternatives based on the ideas of contrast, rhythm and voice. While the first two felt too similar to competitors, and too aggressive for Tubi’s brand, Magurno said voice and the logo immediately stood out as a differentiating pair. A contrasting color palette The rebrand extends to the streamer’s color palette and app interface. Previously, Tubi’s logo featured an orange, pink and purple gradient against dark backgrounds. Now the logo is a neon yellow against a contrasting purple. The app’s interface will be the same shade of purple with yellow accents. Simplified button icons also contribute to what Nicole Parlapiano, chief marketing officer at Tubi, called a “frictionless” experience that will appeal to young users frustrated with the complex streaming ecosystem. Competitor Pluto TV has a highlighter yellow in its logo, and Roku brands itself around its shade of purple. “If you look at the color wheel, everything’s taken,” Parlapiano said when asked about similarities to other streamers. Tubi made its decisions around the brand’s design principles: exciting, inviting and mischievous, she said. Its prior orange identity was “very loud and very jarring,” Parlapiano said. The purple, however, was saved and pulled through to the new design as a warmer and wondrous representation of the rabbit hole’s depths that black or stark colors can’t offer. Then yellow acts as the light that refracts throughout its TV content depths. “If I’m going to a party with friends and we’re all wearing a black dress, that black dress is just one component—it’s all about how the person wears it, how they accessorize it and how it comes across,” said Parlapiano. “Yes, people are going to focus on the colors, but when you see the way the whole experience of the brand and design system and voice come to life, it makes so much sense.” Check out the latest Ad Age events and award programs

How Tubi is rebranding to appeal to Gen Z TV viewers

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