How to revitalise and unify a public broadcasting service brand: with Hymn’s bold redesign of RTS

In the age of streaming and social media, public broadcasting services have had to adapt and evolve in order to survive. RTS (Radio Télévision Suisse), the only French national channel in Switzerland, is one such example. By responding to these new formats of media consumption, and the shifting patterns of consumers, RTS was perpetually trying to reinvent itself and its outputs, which eventually led to conflicting changes and inconsistent messaging. To reach a definitive solution, they partnered with Lausanne-based design studio Hymn and set them the challenge of developing a powerful and distinctive brand identity for both RTS and its collection of brands. “RTS needed to strengthen its recognition as the only French national channel in an increasingly competitive market,” Hymn’s Founder & Creative Director Alexandre Henriques explains. “Its daughter brands (television channels and radio stations) did not sufficiently express their belonging to the RTS brand.” The resulting visual language they designed is unifying, and establishes the brand’s presence in the current media landscape, thanks to its clear hierarchy, updated baselines, values and emotions. Crucially, the updated look retains RTS’ essential ‘Swissness,’ with the flexibility and scope to expand the brand further in the future.