The promos are for the “NCIS” spin-off “NCIS: Sydney,” which is set in Sydney, Australia, and are actually designed to be run upside down.

Running the spots upside down is a nod to the “down under” setting of Australia, which is sometimes referred to as the “upside down continent.”

Online memes and other imagery often feature images, sometimes taken from other memes, that reference Australia or Australians with the image rotated 180 degrees as a tongue-in-cheek reference to the nickname.

Another common image that aligns with Australia being “upside down” is a world map that depicts the geographic north pole running along the bottom of the image as opposed to its traditional location along top. 

The main clue that the “NCIS: Sydney” promos are, in fact, airing in the correct orientation is the typography running along the bottom of the screen with the network logo, show name and air day and time, an element that is used on most CBS promos.

The promos do, in fact, spend a brief moment being “right side up” at the very beginning before using the CBS eye as the axis for a rotating animation. 

The remainder of the spot, including on-screen text, is upside down, with the exception of the tag along the bottom of the screen. 

Despite being rotated, the text is still largely legible, thanks in part to the ultra-clean TT Norms typeface and the all-caps, extra-wide Bank Gothic that is typically used for the “NCIS” logos.

Many of the scenes selected for the promo appear to have been picked for being able to read well in the upside-down orientation — as well as grab the eye with seemingly gravity-defying scenes.

For example, one brief scene features a character tossing what appears to be a key fob in the air while sitting in a vehicle, but, of course, the movement seems unnatural in this case. Some action scenes are also especially eye-catching when viewed this way.

Running promos upside down isn’t new (the technique also sometimes appears in advertising), but it’s not commonly used and appears to be well thought out in the case of “NCIS: Sydney.” That, combined with the fact the text remains fairly easy to read, means that the spots are both eye-catching for the simple reason of being different from other promos and ads, while also still serving to build viewer awareness of the show.

“NCIS: Sydney” started production in May 2023 and was largely able to avoid the effects of U.S. TV production labor issues because it’s filmed overseas using non-U.S. actors. 

The show was put on the CBS schedule as a way to offer original programming in late fall as the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes appeared to be continuing indefinitely (the WGA strike has ended and SAG-AFTRA has a tentative agreement on the table).

CBS plans to air the series at 8 p.m. Tuesdays followed by a repeat of the parent show “NCIS.” The “Sydney” slot is normally occupied by “FBI.” That show has not aired new episodes in the 2023-2024 season due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes and it’s not clear how CBS plans to handle its eventual return, though the effects of the strikes are likely to affect U.S. broadcast TV lineups for the foreseeable future.

“NCIS: Sydney” is also airing on Paramount+ Australia and Network 10, where it debuted Nov. 10, 2023. The U.S. CBS debut is Nov. 14, 2023. The series was reportedly originally planned to air only on Paramount+ in the U.S.

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“Making a Difference” is being used in promos and other marketing media supporting the annual fundraiser, which provides shoes and more to local children from families experiencing financial hardship. The campaign runs year round, culminating with a back to school phone bank.

In its ninth year, KRQE Cares was developed by the station’s Media Group Community Relations Director Carolyn Rush to address one of the biggest needs of children in a state where one out of four students live in poverty.

“Unfortunately, New Mexico ranks 50th in the nation for child well-being. We work directly with Title 1 schools to put new shoes on every child in the school,” said Rush. “Each year, KRQE, our viewers, and the New Mexico community work together to supply thousands of pairs of new shoes to kids. We’re a local station with a tradition of community service and this is our way of making a difference.”

The song embodies the campaign’s positive spirit, according to Stephen Arnold Music President Chad Cook.

“We were impressed by how well it’s been embraced by the local community,” he said. “The campaign is optimistic and upbeat, and the song reflects that. It tugs at the heartstrings and conveys hope. We want to get people engaged and inspired.”

“Making a Difference” was crafted to work with both broadcast and online media, adapt to different time formats and complement a range of visuals.

“It also needed to function effectively with full lyrics and as an instrumental while projecting emotional force from start to finish,” Cook notes. “We even produced a version that features kids’ voices. There’s just a touch here and there —enough to give you an authentic human connection without becoming syrupy.” The song’s lyrics begin with the promise, “great things happen when New Mexico pulls together,” and end with the promise “It’s New Mexico’s spirit we share Kir-Kee Cares.”

Stephen Arnold Music has collaborated frequently with KRQE Media Group, providing sonic branding and original music for each of the four television stations it operates in New Mexico.

“They created a sonic identity for a station that previously lacked one, and reaffirmed the identity of another,” said Creative Services Director Bill Case. “They customized an existing theme for the morning newscast on a third station that helped propel it from a distant third in its market to competing for number one. They’re just so good.”

Cook says that Stephen Arnold Music is especially proud to contribute to KRQE Cares. “It’s rare to find a station with such a strong commitment to philanthropy,” he states. “The station works very hard to make this campaign a success and ensure that it serves kids. Their staff not only deliver the shoes, they get down on their knees to make sure they fit. They give each student a book and snacks and make them feel special. It’s personalized and genuine.”

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The tagline was announced earlier in July 2023 as a way to promote the new lineup that debuted July 17, 2023.

The tagline appeared on-air in the “sliver” graphic that runs along the bottom of the screen as well as in various other marketing efforts, including a promo featuring Laura Ingraham, Jesse Watters, Sean Hannity and Greg Gutfeld. 

The spot showcases these four hosts and their respective shows, “The Ingraham Angle,” “Jesse Watters Primetime,” “Hannity” and “Gutfeld!”

It starts with a view of the four hosts walking toward the camera with the primary video wall in Studio M behind them sporting the word “Primetime” in oversized letters.

There is also a graphical representation of the schedule showing each host with his or her timeslot listed before each is shown separately.

These shots depict each host in front of a view of their studio along with large lettering emphasizing each show’s ratings, along with small type outlining the data behind the claims.

It’s hard not to notice the word “right” in the slogan — which, on the surface, is meant to refer to the definition of the word that means “correct” or “most appropriate” but also has the secondary connotation of the voices being “right”-wing. 

In this arena, Fox isn’t the only time cable news has opted to emphasize its commentary and analysis programming’s ideology. MSNBC previously used the tagline “Lean forward,” which had connections to both the phrase female corporate leadership movement “lean in” and the notion of moving forward with progressive views.

Fox had previously used the taglines “Fair & Balanced” and “We Report. You Decide.” which were often derided at being ironic given the network’s decidedly right-leaning slant (“Fair & Balanced” was last used on the network in August 2016). 

In present day, NewsNation, which has been accused of having a conservative slant in at least some of its programming that reportedly sent much of its early staff packing after they become uncomfortable with the editorial direction, touts itself heavily as being “unbiased.” 

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Dubbed “Storm Tracker,” the vehicle is co-branded with local dealership Oxmoor Ford, the vehicle isn’t new to the station, but the spot is designed to continue to showcase the vehicle and its features.

WAVE Director of Marketing Kris Ellison-Baete headed up the team who developed the new promo, including stylized shots of the vehicle parked and out and about and oversized yellow typography in solid and outline formats. Clips captured by the vehicle, as well as airchecks during severe weather, are also included, along with augmented reality-style labels showcasing the mobile radar and live streaming capabilities. 

Like many weather promos, there is also a running theme of safety during severe weather.

DO YOU REMEMBER? Before the #WAVE3News @3StormTracker, we had…

• The WAVE 3 Storm Chaser (2 versions)

• The WAVE 3 Weather Wizard "Wagen"

• The WAVE 3 Weather RV

Our history of weather vehicles goes back over 20 years! pic.twitter.com/GGUwm9OGOQ

— WAVE Storm Tracker (@WAVEStormTrackr) April 16, 2019

WAVE has had weather vehicles for over 20 years, including two iterations of “Storm Chaser,” both of which were oversized vans. There was also “Weather Wizard,” a VW Bug and an RV version. Previous vehicles had varying capacities and equipment payloads. 

Hello there. Notice anything different? pic.twitter.com/yg5qjKLYML

— WAVE Storm Tracker (@WAVEStormTrackr) November 8, 2022

Following the station’s January 2022 rebranding and new logo, the vehicle had its livery updated from the previous black, red and white color scheme later that year.

We’re all set for #ThunderOverLouisville at @KYScience! Watch our coverage with the @3StormTracker all day on #WAVE3News! #wave3thunder pic.twitter.com/Bb40ShEwQ6

— WAVE Storm Tracker (@WAVEStormTrackr) April 13, 2019

It now sports a blue, yellow and white motif with a redesigned logo and lightning bolt theme, which is showcased in the promo.

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Described as “a raw and unedited display of iconic moments that capture the spirit, courage and integrity of our journalists and the power of the work we do at CNN every day” by CNN CEO Chris Licht in a memo to staffers announcing the new look and campaign June 1, 2023, which is also the network’s birthday.

The promos that have been spotted in the wild so far include 15- and 30-second spots that feature archival footage both newer and older.

It’s likely, given the flexible format of the promos and over four decades of archival footage at its disposable, that CNN will continue to produce more variations of the campaign. The clips shown here are not meant to be a comprehensive look at all of the promos created.

Each promo features on-screen text that jives with the overall insert graphic redesign, including the locator line design featuring separate bars with a rounded side. 

Unlike in the insert graphics, these are shown in outline or semi-transparent format, including a red “CNN Archive” one at the top, perhaps a nod to a simulated viewfinder look with the date and location of each clip.

Along the bottom of the screen are credit-style lines that differ from spot to spot but typically name the correspondent, photojournalists and other people, including security teams, who made the footage possible.

Some of the spots are harrowing — including one where a producer is visibly injured on-camera (though oddly is not named on-screen). In others, reports are seen running from danger or interviewing those fleeing their country.

Others appear to be outtakes of reporters prepping for live shots or standups, often discussing safety and newsgathering with unseen team members.

In another, chief international anchor Christiane Amanpour is shown refusing a request to wear a scarf over her head during an attempted 20interview with  taped at the United Nations. In it, she notes that she “respects” the law about head coverings in countries where it is the law — and indeed, she and other CNN reporters have been seen on air wearing such apparel — but since the U.N., which is technically outside the U.S., has no such law, she says she won’t bow to the wishes expressed by someone off camera, presumably an aide or assistant to the interview subject.

That interview ultimately never happened over the issue.

All of the spots end with a simple black screen with the words “This is” in white and the red CNN logo. Often nat sound or SOT continues to run in the background, often continuing to hammer home the message of the network’s standards and enterprise.

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The free ad-supported service first launched in 2019 and is reportedly profitable for NBCUniversal. The network replaced Signal, which was NBC News’ first trial in streaming news. 

Janelle Rodriguez, executive vice president at NBC News and head of NBC News Now, believes more work is ahead to help viewers discover the service. 

“We want to keep reintroducing ourselves to new audiences who are seeking out that kind of 24 hour news accessibility,” said Rodriguez in an interview with THR. 

NBC News Now aims to engage both long-time news enthusiasts accustomed to traditional linear television and a younger audience who form the majority of the service’s current viewership. 

To that end, NBC News is launching a new brand campaign starting Thursday, May 11. The campaign, tagged “news for the generation of now,” will highlight the service’s stable of anchors and correspondents both in-studio and in the field.

In the first spot, dynamic imagery from major stories is showcased along with clips of anchors and correspondents; flowing from one scene to another with dynamic motion. The spot also emphasizes that NBC News Now is streaming free and everywhere. This aligns with Rodriguez’s view of the organic shift in how consumers access their news.

NBC News Now’s model eschews the traditional cable practice of focusing heavily on guests and pundits. Instead, it emphasizes the strength of NBC’s global correspondent network. Rodriguez notes a growing viewer fatigue with the “talking head” format, leading the service to lean into its strength in on-the-ground reporting.

The service experienced its best quarter in Q1 2023, with a 13% increase year over year. Moreover, March recorded the best month for the service since the same time last year when the war in Ukraine commenced.

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The latest iteration of the campaign features the children of WBRC employees as a symbolic gesture to bridging the past and present with the “It’s gotta be Fox 6 News” message.

Non-professional singers also appear on-camera singing parts of the jingle, typically with a Fox 6 vehicle of some sort driving by. 

It’s not entirely clear when the song first hit the airwaves, but it goes back to at least 1996, according to archival footage the station posted.

The promo ends with a large staff shot in front of the station’s building. 

WBRC also uses the popular “On Your Side” tagline.

There have also been numerous iterations of the jingle recorded over the years, though the new promos do not feature any original music beyond what those people appearing on-camera singing the song.

Although not connected by anything other than network affiliation, KMSP in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, recently revived its “Wake Up with Fox 9” jingle.

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The new branding centers around the tagline “Live Ambitiously” and features a variety of new brand spots. 

A talent-driven promo features images culled from over 1,200 photos and clips of the network’s talent combined with fast-paced, heavily percussion music as the images flip by on-screen.

The imagery is combined with on-screen graphics that use a flat feel, relying heavily on solid and color-tinted backgrounds with oversized animated outline typography, solid wording and small square accents.

To introduce the new tagline, CNBC also used a separate spot centered around the theme of “The Right Stuff,” though it also featured the “Ambitiously” line but featured more general footage. This spot also did not include the typographic animation, instead putting the focus on the video while also mixing in the network logo and a peacock-inspired outline animation near the end.

In the new spots, the “Live Ambitiously” tagline typically appears on-screen inside of a boxed horizontal lockup featuring the CNBC logo to the left of the tagline. Typography throughout is set in bold, clean sans serif, with lighter italics used in secondary text.

That same border and boxy motif is also used on on-set video wall graphics shown in promos for the new show “Last Call” that debuts March 8, 2023. The full look for the show has not been revealed, but the same design is used in promotional materials and key art CNBC has released, so it is likely to be the same or similar.

Similar updated promos for individual shows are also airing with the flat, typographic-driven look, though not all feature the tagline.

CNBC had previously announced a series of schedule changes that included canceling “TechCheck” at 11 a.m. and replacing it with another hour of “Squawk on the Street” anchored by Carl Quintanilla and Sara Eisen.

That announcement also revealed the network’s plans to launch “Last Call” at 7 p.m. to replace “The News with Shepard Smith,” which was canceled in November 2022 amid a larger strategy shift away from general news.

CNBC has used a variety of taglines over the years, some of which were only applicable to specific parts of the schedule or coverage, including “First in Business Worldwide,” “Profit From It” and “Get Yours, to name a few recent ones.

Project credits

• Client: CNBC
• VP, Global Creative Director, CNBC: Robert Poulton
• VP, Creative Services, CNBC: Frank Piantini
• Director, Business Day On-Air Promotion, CNBC: Ellen Lewis
• Senior Vice President, Marketing, CNBC: Thomas J. Clendenin
• Agency: 2C
• Executive Creative Director: Chris Sloan
• VP, Operations, Executive Producer: Bob Cobb
• Creative Director: Jeff Mielcarz
• Motion Graphics Designer: Alberto Garcia
• Audio Engineer: Cesar Haliwa
• Music: Eric Vasquez, CEO Executive Producer / Sync Stories

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The change began rolling out the week of Feb. 27, 2023, on various TV providers. 

The first installment under the name will be Jake Tapper’s interview with late-night host Bill Maher Feb. 28, 2023. 

CNN is billing the programs as “events” in official listings and announcements.

As of midday Feb. 28, 2023, future listings show an “Inside the Murdaugh Murder Trial” with Laura Coates March 1, 2023, and “Jill Biden Abroad” anchored by Sara Sidner featuring an interview by Arlette Saenz on March 2, 2023.

Beyond that date, episodes are listed simply under the name “CNN Primetime” without any descriptions.

CNN plans to schedule topics for the timeslot closer to airdates — with the topic of each being driven by the news cycle.

While “Real Time with Bill Maher” is frequently in the news for comments made on its broadcast, there’s not really a specific news hook for Maher’s appearance. “Real Time” also happens to air on HBO, which is owned by CNN parent Warner Bros. Discovery. CNN also recently began airing “Overtime,” a weekly “Real Time” post-show segment that was previously exclusive to YouTube, during “CNN Tonight” on Fridays. 

The interview with Maher and Taper was taped in advance.

Meanwhile, the network has released key art for the two other scheduled installments that use a dark background with vertical red accents similar to what is used in the Maher promo, which also references “big names” and “big questions,” however the show’s look relies heavily on 3D elements for the opening titles. 

The show logo combines the network’s iconic mark with a condensed version of CNN Sans spelling out “Primetime.” 

Other elements appear to be the use of blue-green bursts of color against the mostly black backgrounds along with similar transitional burst elements alongside the vertical red bars. The Maher interview promo also uses on-screen text set against solid color backgrounds in both solid and outline form.

It is not immediately clear if the “CNN Primetime” branding and programming strategy is permanent (or at least as permanent as things can be in television). 

The 9 p.m. hour on CNN has been without a consistent host since it fired host Chris Cuomo in December 2021.

Cuomo’s show was named “Cuomo Prime Time” — with “primetime” spelled as two words instead of one as in the current branding.

Since then, the hour has been filled with a second hour of “The Situation Room” as well as “CNN Tonight” branded programming. Tapper previously hosted the hour for several weeks around the 2022 election, but ultimately returned to hosting “The Lead” earlier in the day.

Ahead of the Maher interview, CNN released what it called “media usage rules” for the interview.

The guidelines say the network is allowing news organizations in the U.S. to use clips from the interview “up to 3 minutes at a time” on TV and audio but must credit “Courtesy of CNN.” Clips can be only be used once the show has aired in its entirety. 

CNN affiliates in the U.S. are asked to contact CNN Newsource for details.

Internationally, CNN is limiting clips to one minute but these outlets must wait until after 1 a.m. eastern and can only use the content for the following 24 hours. The CNN logo cannot be obscured in these uses.

“No Access Japan,” the advisory adds.

CNN says that global digital use of the interview is restricted to embedding clips from CNN’s official video sources, including its own site or official YouTube channel.

“CNN events are exclusive to CNN and may not be streamed or streamed (sic) with verbal or digital commentary on any platform or social media site by another party,” reads the advisory. 

CNN did not respond to NewscastStudio’s request for the “streamed or streamed” error, though a subsequent release added a comma after the first “streamed,” making it read “may not be streamed, or streamed with verbal or digital commentary on any platform or social media site by another party.”

It’s also not clear what CNN means by “streaming.” For example, it could be referring to a simultaneously live stream of the broadcast with added commentary. However, in a broader sense, it could be taken to mean simply including the content in any streaming newscast (and more and more content is streamed either live or at some point these days).

Outside of live, simultaneously streaming, that declaration is bit a confusing, given that it’s common for other TV news networks, including CNN itself, to use clips from other networks’ newsworthy interviews taken from airchecks and this is largely protected under fair use laws in the U.S. when used for journalistic or commentary use. Typically these clips are well under the 3 and 1 minute restrictions CNN is imposing. 

Because so much content produced for linear broadcast ends up on a streaming platform at some point, if CNN’s rule means it can’t be on those types of “streaming” offerings, it’s not clear how or if they would enforce such usage. 

In this clip that aired on ‘CNN This Morning’ Feb. 28, 2023, a Fox interview from 2020 is shown. CNN notably does not credit Fox on-screen and obscures its logo using its own lower third inserts.

It’s already common practice to both credit the source on-screen and also “frame” clips taken from another outlet’s interview inside of graphics designed to highlight that a particular clip is taken from another source, though this practice can vary from network to network or even show to show.

A portion of this video, posted on social media, aired Feb. 23, 2023 on CNN’s ‘Early Start’ with a ‘frame’ around it to emphasize it is third-party content. This approach has long been common for when a broadcast needs to showcase a TV commercial to avoid the appearance that the broadcast is running the spot as an advertisement. It has become more common recently when showcasing content from social media or a third-party.

The network also did not respond to NewscastStudio’s request for comment about the restrictions on the interview footage.

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The show, which is set for a March 8, 2023, debut, is taking over the timeslot formerly occupied by “The News with Shepard Smith” that was canceled in late 2022 after a two-year run.

As part of CNBC’s overall strategy of focusing more on business news, the program will explore the connection between the markets, culture and policy.

Brian Sullivan, who will anchor the new show, is prominently featured in the promo, which features interview-style shots of him in Studio B, which is home to a set that was built specifically for Smith’s show.

The studio features “Last Call” branded graphics that use a grid-like motif in blue, gold, white and black. While the show’s permanent home has not been officially announced by the network, Studio B appears to be the primary home for the new program. 

These colors are used heavily in the on-screen animations used in the promo, which center around a flat design with both solid and outline text in a bold, clean sans serif along with small squares, outlined elements and some smaller micro applications of lines, text and squares. 

Many other CNBC shows use Gotham for their logotypes, though the flatter look that appears in both the promo on on-set video walls appears to be a bit of a different look than the glassier look the network uses during most of the day.

Sullivan’s shots in the promo feature both a traditionally framed interview shot along with wider cutaways. He is consistently shown speaking directly to the primary camera, with both a floor camera and jib visible behind him. The wide shots showcase more of the space, including the camera he’s speaking to. 

The promo also includes brief clips of him at the anchor desk and standing, delivering a report as the camera starts to circle around him. 

These shots show the on-set video walls showcasing the same square grid look seen earlier and elements from the promo’s graphics. Notably, “The News” used a boxy look, though it was more 3D and used white and blue as its primary colors.

How a clock inspired the new home of ‘The News with Shepard Smith’

It appears CNBC has mostly used the LED video panels and lighting cues to update the Studio B set, as opposed to making any major structural changes. Soft seating has also been added in one corner of the set, allowing studio interviews with Sullivan. 

Much of the set’s original design was centered around the angle the hands of the clock form at 7 p.m. along with long, horizontal LED ribbons with gaps between them that were positioned to serve as both background elements and a nod to the network’s iconic ticker.

This isn’t the first show in the NBCUniversal family to use the name “Last Call” — it was previously a late night talk show hosted by Carson Daly that aired from 2002 to 2019. In that sense, the name was likely meant more as a reference to the “last call” at a bar — given the late-night timeslot.

In the CNBC show’s case, the term could be is likely in reference to a “call option” or “call on shares,” both terms used in the stock market and investment banking. 

It does not appear that the phrase “last call,” however, is commonly used in the financial industry. 

The “Last” element in the name might seem to suggest the show is, like Daly’s show, a late-night option, despite the show airing at 7 p.m. eastern.

While CNBC does not go off the air at 8 p.m. eastern, as of 2023 it transitions to its primetime schedule of airing repeats of pre-taped shows such as “Shark Tank” and “American Greed,” so in that context the word “last” in the title makes sense.

The CNBC business day schedule features numerous shows with references to Wall Street — ranging from “Squawk Box,” “The Exchange,” “Power Lunch, “Street Signs” and “Closing Bell.”

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