ABC Family becomes Freeform


Details

Michelle Clancy

| 10 January 2016




ABC Family is transitioning its network identity to ‘Freeform’, billing itself as “the most social television network.”



“The name ‘Freeform’ speaks to the network's ongoing priority to super-serve Becomers, fans on that epic adventure of becoming an adult, a life stage that spans people who are ages 14-34,” the network said. “Traditionally, Becomers are in high school, college and the decade that follows and are navigating the wonderful, fun, exciting and scary time when you experience many of life's firsts - from first kiss to first kid.”

Key launch partnerships for the rebranded cable net will include a Social DNA Project with Twitter; a live stream of events via Periscope; a Vine booth; a BuzzFeed Facebook Live chat and a custom Pretty Little Liars Facebook icon; Instagram content and talent takeovers; and a Pretty Little Liars Snapchat filter.

The casts of Pretty Little Liars and Shadowhunters also will live-tweet during their premieres.

The Freeform Social DNA Project with Twitter will take place on 12 January. Throughout the day, fans who tweet @FreeformTV using the hashtag #FreeformLaunch will receive a reply tweet that includes a unique piece of 3D digital art based on a sentiment analysis of their Twitter feed. Each piece of art is unique. Fans will then have the opportunity to enter an instant win sweepstakes to receive a one-of-a-kind piece of 3D printed wearable art representing their Twitter personality.

All this activity will lead to the on-air debut of the new network brand spot. For the new Freeform branding spot, a diverse mix of designers, animators and illustrators participated in a unique collaboration, using a network sizzle, created internally and provided to each artist (Ruffmercy; Gustavo Torres; Saiman Chow, Dusty Studio and Audrey Aquino) devoid of graphics and with very few creative parameters. The artists were invited to express how the content made them think and feel, through typography, illustration and animation. The sizzles were then collected and edited into one mashup, highlighting the best of each artist's work - set to the music of rising star Alessia Cara's upcoming single Wild Things from her Def Jam debut album Know-It-All.

The day also includes a "Pretty Little Liars" marathon on the network.

“The audience's identity and experience are fluid as they explore endless possibilities and their passions take shape,” the network said. “Freeform is inspired by the interconnection between content and audience; media and technology; interactive and linear; life stage and life style, and the way Becomers interact with them all.”