TVOkids Logo PNG
The designers tried to make the TVOkids logo match the interests of the target audience: schoolchildren and preschoolers. They painted the lettering in bright colors to give it a cartoonish look.
TVOkids: Brand overview
The TVOkids children’s programming block has existed since 1994. It is broadcast daily from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. and shows various educational and documentary series in English. TVOntario, which in turn is owned by the Government of Ontario and is part of the Ontario Educational Communications Authority, owns the rights to the brand.
TVOKids began in 1994 as part of TVO (TV Ontario), an educational television network in the Canadian province of Ontario. TVO, originally established in 1970 as the Ontario Educational Communications Authority (OECA), was created to deliver educational content across the province.
1994, TVO management launched a dedicated children’s programming block to meet the growing demand for high-quality educational content for younger audiences. This new initiative initially aired as a midday programming block.
At first, the block primarily broadcast nationally acquired educational shows like Arthur and Sesame Street. However, it quickly became clear that to truly succeed, the network needed to produce unique content aligned with Canadian educational standards and values.
In 1998, the channel premiered its first original program, Gisèle’s Big Backyard, focusing on preschoolers. The show quickly became popular and laid the foundation for the network’s future productions.
The 2000s were a period of significant growth and development for the children’s programming block. In 2003, the network launched a dedicated website offering educational materials and interactive games to complement the TV shows. This move was crucial in expanding the network’s educational reach and adapting to the digital age.
In 2006, the content was divided into two age groups: Gisèle’s Big Backyard for preschoolers and The Space for children aged 6 to 11. This allowed for more targeted content that better met the educational needs of different age groups.
A major milestone was reached in 2010 with the debut of Odd Squad, a new original program produced in collaboration with PBS Kids. The show combined humor with mathematical concepts, achieved global success, and won several prestigious awards.
In 2011, the children’s programming expanded its online presence further by launching a mobile app, giving parents and children easier access to educational content.
A significant development was the launch of Homework Help, an online resource offering free homework assistance for elementary school students in 2015.
In 2017, the programming block unveiled a new visual brand and a redesigned website, strongly emphasizing STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education.
In 2019, the network introduced the Power Hour of Learning. This daily hour-long block combined television programming with online activities to support the Ontario curriculum, marking an innovation in its offerings.
While the primary mission has always been to provide high-quality educational content to children in Ontario, the programming block has evolved over the years to meet the changing needs of its audience and advancements in educational technology.
Meaning and History
TVOkids is called TVOntariokids after the television network TVOntario, which serves the Canadian province of Ontario. The prefix “kids” means that all programs of the block are designed for preschool and primary school viewers. The designers created a logo with multi-colored letters to emphasize this in the brand’s visual identity. But if “k,” “i,” “d,” and “s” are colored in different colors of the rainbow, then “t,” “v,” and “o” have the same red hue and look the same as on the TVOntario logo. So, the developers showed the connection between the trademark and the media organization it belongs to.
What are TV Okids?
It is an abbreviation for TVOntariokids, a daily daytime television block aimed at preschoolers and primary school children. The brand is owned by the Canadian media organization TVOntario, which uses it to broadcast children’s programming. The broadcast language is English.
1991 – 1994
Shortly before the advent of TVOkids, there was a television block of TVO Children’s programming. The logo and its name consisted of letters originally designed in different colors. At the same time, the word “TVO” was in the upper left corner and was issued in a strict cursive serif font. A little to the right was a dark beige symbol of a crawling man, apparently referencing children who had not yet learned to walk. This is exactly what the TVOntario logo designed by Dick Derhodge in 1975 looked like.
The second part of the inscription was located at the bottom. The red “C” looked like Pac-Man, the blue “H” was split in half, the pink “I” was wavy, the olive “L” had a square inside, half of the teal “N” was shaded, and the bright green “S” It looked like a slice of avocado cut in half.
1994 – 2009
In 1994, TVO Children’s became TVOkids. The designers introduced the new brand name in lowercase. They made the glyphs jagged and jumpy, and for better readability, they used a bold sans-serif typeface that looked like bubblegum. The letters all had wide black outlines, but ‘t,’ ‘v,’ and ‘o’ were red, while ‘k,’ ‘i’, ‘d’, and ‘s’ were green. To give them visual volume, the developers used a gradient with a smooth transition from a dark top to a light bottom.
2009 – 2015
In the new version, the title of the TV block was white and placed inside a red rectangle with rounded corners that looked like a TV screen. The designers separated “tvo” and “kids,” placing them on two levels. At the same time, both lines were the same width, so the top three letters had to be slightly increased. The font also changed, but it was still bold and grotesque. A red man held a sign with an inscription. The artists did not detail it and only depicted protruding parts: a head, legs, and finger fragments.
2015 – 2019
After another redesign, the name of the program block appeared on a blank background and again took one line, as on the 1994 logo. All letters were multi-colored: “t” – light blue, “v” – light green, “o” – dark green, “k” – orange, “i” – violet, “d” – turquoise, “s” – magenta. The first three glyphs were written in the original font with rounded and thickened ends, and a bold geometric sans serif was used for all the rest.
2019 – 2022
The designers recolored the inscription, so now the logo has a completely different color scheme. The first three letters have the same pink hue. Then comes the light blue “k,” the purple “i,” the orange “d,” and the light green “s.” The font has not changed much.
2022 – today
The TVOKids logo is designed in a bright and modern style. It consists of two parts. The left part features lowercase red letters that form the word “tvo.” This emblem portion is smaller than the right part, emphasizing the word “kids.” Each letter in the word “kids” is colored differently, symbolizing the diversity and joy inherent in the children’s world. The letter “k” is highlighted in blue, associated with trust and calmness; “i” in purple, representing creativity and imagination; “d” in orange, conveying energy and enthusiasm; and “s” in green, symbolizing freshness and growth.
An interesting detail is the eye embedded in the letter “d,” which adds an element of curiosity and openness to new experiences—important qualities for children’s development. This feature underscores the brand’s educational focus, as the channel is known for its educational programs for children.
The sans-serif font is rounded and friendly, making it readable and appealing to children. This reflects the channel’s primary mission—to provide educational and developmental programs in an accessible and engaging form.
The color palette and font choice align with a children’s program’s current demands and goals—to make learning fun and accessible to all kids. The logo’s visual style highlights the channel’s positive and inclusive direction, aiming to be a reliable friend and guide for children as they take their first steps in exploring the world.
Font and Colors
The inscription’s outward playfulness, manifested in different letter forms and bright colors, indicates that the emblem belongs to the block of children’s TV shows. Designers tried to convey lightness, ease, and a cheerful mood in TVOkids symbols.
The first three letters use the same font as the TVOntario logo. This is most likely the American Typewriter Medium, designed by Tony Stan and Joel Kaden. But for the second part of the name, the designers chose a bold sans serif, which has several analogs, including Sequel Sans Head Semi Bold by OGJ Type Design, GGX88 Regular by Typodermic Fonts Inc., Nimbus Sans L Bold by URW++ and FreeSans Bold by GNU FreeFont. For the TVOkids logo to attract children’s attention, its palette contains bright colors: pink, light blue, purple, orange, and light green.
