BBC One idents show how people “are coming together during lockdown”

Eight new idents will be introduced to the BBC One network over the new few weeks to show life under lockdown.

Each idents showcase a “range of difference and eclectic activities people have been doing to stay connected during isolation,” the BBC says. They have been designed by the in-house BBC Creative team.

All the idents were created remotely, shot by contributors at their own homes and edited together by the BBC. According to Jonathan Hopper, the BBC’s media scheduling lead, the idents are seen by 34m viewers a week.

Three idents are rolling out first. These include one showing an ‘isolation disco’, where people in a community have a party at the same time in separate homes. Set to an upbeat song, it shows people dancing together and alone with disco lights.

Another ident shows a Sunday league football team, now practising remotely – players do kick-ups and exercise in separate gardens and patios.

A “quieter and more reflective ident” shows “a solitary group of tea cups without anyone to enjoy them and have conversations together”.

They build on the idea of ‘Oneness’, which were a series of idents created by artist Martin Parr in 2017 showing people coming together around mutual interests across the country.

Charlotte Moore, director of content at the BBC says: “BBC One’s new idents have been created to reflect what we’re all going through. Responding to the mood of the nation is what BBC One can uniquely do and we hope these idents, which reflect social distancing, will help bring audiences together to unwind, relax and escape through this crisis.”

Chris Hooper, the BBC’s head of marketing, echoes this, saying: “Our ‘Oneness’ channel idents are about demonstrating BBC One’s unique ability to bring large and disparate groups of people together through their shared passions and interests.

“During this unusual time of isolation, the BBC is helping to bring the nation closer through entertainment, information, education and culture.”