Contender Entertainment Group

Background
Contender Entertainment was created in 1995 as a British home video company. In 2004, the company expanded when it acquired Medusa Communications. It was acquired by Entertainment One in 2007. On 16th March 2009, the company rebranded with the new name eOne UK.

1st Logo (1995-1999)
Nicknames: "Press Play", "Buttons"

Logo: On a -white gradient background, a dark red square is seen inside a frame, representing a stop button on a VCR. The frame then flashes to change it to a pause button, then to a play button, and finally to a fast forward button. One of the arrows on the button slides to the right. Both arrows get incorporated into the text "contender" in Optima font, which casts a shadow. The now empty button fades out.

Technique: Limited animation.

Music/Sounds: A hip hop/breakbeat tune containing a drum beat from Bobby Byrd's Hot Pants (Bonus Beats), with a lead flute, along with synths, and a small brass section with a horn is heard at the end.

Availability: Rare. Releases utilizing the logo are out of print, but it can be seen on pre-1999 Art Attack and Zzzap! VHS tapes. Tapes released between 1998 and 2000 only contain the Nippers, Bonkers or Kult Kidz logos, all serving as sub-divisions of Contender that traded until 2003.

2nd Logo (2000-2006)
Nickname: "Enlighten"

Logo: On a space background, a star with an abstract  eagle inside of it zooms towards the screen. An explosion of bright light occurs, and we zoom out, revealing a few more blue stars as smaller orange and white ones move around erratically. Another flash occurs and as we continue to zoom away, said eagle is drawn in. Several light rays appear, forming "CONTENDER ENTERTAINMENT GROUP". A ripple forms the company URL below, and finally, the eagle's eye rotates as light emits from it.

Variants:
 * There exists a shortened version, only seen on Tractor Tom.
 * On the first season of Peppa Pig, the logo is in-credit.
 * A still version of this logo exists at the end of some UK VHS tapes. It usually lasts either 5 seconds before the logo fades out to black, or 30 seconds before the logo cuts to black. Other UK VHS tapes have the normal logo at the beginning as well as the end.

Technique: Well-made and colorful CGI, a huge improvement from the previous logo.

Music/Sounds: A trance theme, ending in a 3-note synth-string fanfare. On Tractor Tom and Peppa Pig, the show's closing theme plays over. The still version is silent.

Availability: Uncommon.
 * This logo appears on UK VHS's and DVDs, including a few classic Hong Kong movies, like Wheels on Meals and major releases such as Will and Grace, Spooks, Farscape, Footballer's Wives, Bad Girls, Takeshi's Castle, and The Professionals.
 * It also appears on Contender's library of children's programming, such as The Story Makers, Miffy & Friends, and post-1999 Art Attack and Zzzap! VHS tapes, as well as nursery rhyme compilations, and various anime releases such as Beyblade V-Force, Yu-Gi-Oh! and Pokemon Chronicles.
 * The variants can be seen on Tractor Tom and the first season of Peppa Pig.

3rd Logo (2005-2009)
Nicknames: "Star in the London Sky", "Majestic Star", "Orchestral Star"

Logo: We see a skyline with the River Thames below, and some of London's recognizable buildings on the landmark side (including the London Eye and The Gherkin). Then an sun-like star rises beyond the wheel as the camera zooms in. We pass all the buildings and the star flashes into the whole screen, then collapses into a print star with the letter "C" on it and a  circle behind it. Below, "CONTENDER" is seen with "FILMS" or "HOME ENTERTAINMENT" under it.

Variants:
 * A version exists where a square replaces the star and "MERCHANDISING" replaces "FILMS". It maybe appeared on video games like Peppa Pig: Theme Park Fun.
 * A later variant had the shining star replaced with a sun. The final product had a red circle with the abbreviation "CEG". The words below it are like before.
 * An in-credit version exists which just has the "CONTENDER ENTERTAINMENT GROUP" text in white.
 * Various other variants were seen on Contender's website.

Technique: Very good CGI.

Music/Sounds: An ascending tune, followed by a majestic orchestral fanfare. The fanfare was composed and performed by the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra.

Availability: Again, uncommon. It can be found on 2005-2009 Contender DVDs such as New Police Story and Peppa Pig DVDs. The in-credit version appears on the 2008 short film Lost and Found. Later reprints plaster this logo with the Entertainment One logo.