NITV asks audiences to ‘Reimagine Australia’ as it unveils new brand celebrating the diversity of First Nations stories and cultures
“It’s time to reimagine Australia. Come on – learn about our country. About who we are. About truth in history.”
– Uncle Jack Charles
“Australia has the oldest, living, surviving, culture anywhere on Earth. That’s something that all of us need to be proud of. It’s time to listen to those stories.”
– Janice Petersen
“I love this country with all my heart. And I truly believe that if we are able to have that conversation… we as a community can thrive in a way that we have never known.”
– Osher Günsberg
“An honest looking Australia, for me, is one that acknowledges our true history. Our Indigenous history, over 60,000 years to celebrate.”
– Adam Goodes
“Australia is Aboriginal land. Indigenous history is Australian history. And it’s all of our histories.”
– Mi Kaisha
National Indigenous Television (NITV) has revealed a new brand position encouraging all Australians to ‘Reimagine Australia,’ alongside a new logo and television schedule, as it marks nine years of being available free-to-air as part of the SBS network on Sunday 12 December.
The campaign asks audiences to rethink our identity as a nation. Together, NITV invites Australians to have an honest conversation about this country’s past, and work towards a future fuelled by the vibrancy of cultures in Australia today, and underpinned by 60,000 years of tradition, resilience and strength of First Nations peoples and cultures.
Featuring familiar Australian faces including Ernie Dingo, Uncle Jack Charles, Aaron Fa’Aoso, Adam Goodes, Osher Günsberg, Ziggy Ramo, Archie Roach, Kerry O’Brien, Samantha Harris, Sasha Sarago, Mi-Kaisha Masella, Tim Minchin, Adam Hill, Ella Havelka, Janice Petersen and Jeff McMullen.
With 60, 30 and 15 second promotional spots running across SBS channels and platforms including television, online, radio and social media, the new campaign highlights NITV’s special place in the media landscape and the channel’s distinctive offering across news, sport, drama, documentaries, food and children’s content.
The campaign went live at 5am on Sunday 12 December alongside new branding including a redesigned NITV logo which incorporates the Bilma – the North-East Arnhem land term for clapstick, and a universal symbol for rhythm – and the SBS mercator symbol which features across all SBS brands. When clapsticks are struck, the rhythm, represented by songlines, is carried across the country, connecting and celebrating Indigenous cultures. Together, these elements represent NITV: the home of First Nations storytelling in Australia, known for showcasing the diversity of Indigenous voices, views and practices.
NITV’s creative team joined forces with First Nations full-service creative agency Gilimbaa, led by Executive Director and proud Wakka Wakka man David Williams, to create and implement the new brand. Since 2008, Gilimbaa, which means ‘today’ in Wakka Wakka language, has focussed on the power of storytelling and the role this plays in the celebration of culture and community, working for and with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to achieve lasting creative outcomes.
The new brand incorporates a colour palette inspired by the natural world which highlights four defining Countries – Desert Country, Bush Country, Freshwater Country and Saltwater Country. A secondary palette has been created for social media, inspired by Rainforest Country. Texture has also been incorporated across the palette, symbolising the earth all Australians stand on, no matter where they may be in the country.
Tanya Denning-Orman, a proud Birri and Guugu Yimidhirr woman and Director of Indigenous Content, SBS, said:
“NITV has come a long way since we started beaming out across the bush in 2007. Since becoming part of the SBS network and available free-to-air to all Australians in December 2012, we’ve continued to grow and reach more Australians. Today, we’re proud to be delivering what we were established for all those years ago, as a dedicated space for First Nations stories, made by Indigenous people in control of how we’re portrayed, and representing the many voices of the country’s First Australians.
“Telling our stories on our terms has never been more important, and as the power and promise of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives increasingly becomes a focus for Australian audiences, we’re excited to launch a new look and feel that reflects NITV’s enduring mission, illustrates the contemporary channel we are today, and celebrates the diverse First Nations communities and cultures we champion through our content.
“NITV helps all Australians to connect with our country’s rich Indigenous history with programs that inspire, instil pride and lead to greater understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and cultures. We want to thank everyone who leant their voices and joined with our channel to amplify why NITV is so integral to the Australian media landscape.”
David Williams, Executive Director of Gilimbaa, said:
“The Gilimbaa team was inspired by the challenge to create a new NITV brand that would tell their story representing who they are as an organisation, connecting with mob all around the country.
“The trust placed in us by the NITV team and spirit of collaboration throughout the project made it extra special for us to be a part of and we are very proud with the journey to date and hope that our communities right across the country will embrace it.”
As NITV implements its new brand, they have also introduced a new prime time television schedule, designed to give audiences more of what they love, and maximise opportunities to reach and serve communities with their distinctive programming line-up. The revised schedule features themed programming slots, including a drama night, a thriller/horror movie night, a six-day a week natural history documentary slot and a regular weeknight slot entitled Bamay (an NITV production which shows Australia’s most diverse and stunning landscapes from a bird’s eye view).
