Best branding agencies for media and entertainment

A media brand has to operate across content, platforms and formats. A broadcaster manages channel identity and schedules; a streaming service has to connect a large catalogue to discovery; an entertainment company may build a distinct identity around one format or franchise. This list compares agencies through those different assignments. It does not treat one show identity as proof of corporate media expertise, and it makes collaborative roles clear where the public record does.

The order reflects our assessment of published work against this brief; it is not a measured performance ranking. See our methodology.

Ten media and entertainment branding agencies to consider

01 DixonBaxi

DixonBaxi’s ITV and ITVX work is a direct broadcaster example spanning a corporate identity and the streaming service. It is relevant to a media group managing live programming, on-demand viewing and a recognisable public brand. Ask how the system distinguishes the service from individual programmes and how it works in motion and on screen. ITV

02 Design Bridge and Partners

Design Bridge and Partners’ BBC Two work is a channel identity project developed with BBC Creative and a wider group of artists and motion contributors. That collaborative credit matters: a broadcaster’s identity often depends on a system and commissioning network, not one studio working alone. Ask how the agency would manage motion, continuity and contribution at the scale your channel needs. BBC Two

03 TWIN Associates

TWIN Associates was brought in as a broadcast partner for a BBC identity refresh, working alongside Wolff Olins and the BBC’s Brand and UX&D teams. This is a useful reference for the specialist motion and broadcast layer of a larger identity programme. It is not evidence that TWIN led the whole BBC rebrand; confirm the exact role required for your brief. BBC

04 Pentagram

Pentagram’s Channel 4 work is a long-running reference for a broadcaster identity built around a distinctive mark and a broad range of applications. It is relevant to a media organisation that needs to maintain recognition while reflecting different programmes and communities. Ask the proposed partner which parts of the current system it would preserve and how it would involve in-house teams. Channel 4

05 Imaginary Forces

Imaginary Forces created identity work for Netflix Originals. This is a programme and content-label reference, not a corporate Netflix identity. It is relevant to entertainment brands that need an identifiable introduction to original programming across titles and markets. Ask how the studio would balance a repeatable system with the distinct tone of each programme. Netflix Originals

06 Paradise

Paradise’s Dancing with the Stars work for BBC Studios concerns an entertainment format operating across markets. The project is useful to producers managing a repeatable franchise with local versions, partners and audiences. Ask what parts of the identity are fixed, what can adapt locally and how the system supports broadcaster and production needs. Dancing with the Stars

07 We Are Why

We Are Why’s Johnston Press Vibe project concerns a youth-oriented publication brand within a wider local media company. It is useful for publishers deciding how a distinct editorial proposition should relate to its parent organisation. Ask how audience research informed the offer and where the identity appears beyond launch material. Johnston Press Vibe

08 Rome Design

Rome Design’s Measure Publishing work is relevant to publishers building a clear identity for a specialist editorial offer. The case gives buyers a way to examine the relationship between subject matter, readership and the visual language of a publication. Ask for examples across print and digital and clarify which production elements the studio handled. Measure Publishing

09 Saltco

Saltco’s BeRead work is a reference for a publishing consultancy seeking a clear public proposition. It sits closer to the business of publishing than to a major broadcaster, which is useful for smaller media organisations. Ask what the agency did beyond identity and how the system supports the service’s sales conversations. BeRead

10 Saffron

Saffron’s work for Play Media, a Flemish entertainment company, includes brand architecture, identity and a delivery system. That makes it relevant to a media business managing several channels or offers under one organisation. Ask how the agency decided what should be shared across the portfolio and what should remain distinct. Play Media

What to test in a media agency pitch

Bring the agency a real schedule, content catalogue or editorial portfolio. Ask it to show how a system works at the corporate, channel, programme and platform levels, and where those identities should stay distinct. Confirm the production model for motion, sound, templates and daily continuity; a launch reel alone does not show how a media team will maintain the system.

Standout project

Saffron’s Play Media project is a useful feature on brand architecture in entertainment. Play Media operates in Flemish television and media, and Saffron lists architecture, identity and delivery system among its services for the project. That makes the case relevant to companies whose channels and services need to feel related while speaking to different audiences.

The article should examine how the portfolio is organised, which elements establish recognition and how the system is delivered to teams making content. The public project page confirms the client and service categories but gives limited detail on process, so the discussion should focus on the visible system and avoid inventing strategic decisions that the agency has not documented. Project and visual research

Questions readers ask

What should a media branding project include?

Depending on the brief, it may include corporate positioning, channel or service identities, programme systems, motion, sonic identity, platform applications and rollout tools. Agree who owns each part.

Is a television programme identity the same as a broadcaster brand?

No. A programme identity serves one format or title; a broadcaster brand has to organise many programmes and services. Review the exact scope of each agency case.

How should a streaming brand approach its catalogue?

The brand should help viewers understand the service and find relevant content without making every title look the same. Test the system in real discovery, subscription and viewing contexts.

How this list was chosen

About That Brand compares agencies through documented work that is relevant to the specific industry and buying problem. Inclusion is editorial, not paid. A place on this list is not a guarantee of availability or fit: confirm the proposed team, scope, fees and evidence directly before appointing an agency.

Read the full methodology