Paramount+

From the Audiovisual Identity Database, the motion graphics museum


Background

Paramount+ (pronounced Paramount Plus; formerly known as CBS All Access) is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned and operated by Paramount Streaming (formerly "ViacomCBS Streaming"), a division of Paramount Global. Paramount+ delivers movies, crime dramas, news, cartoons and comedies. It offers original content, content newly aired on CBS's broadcast properties, and content from the Paramount Global library.

1st Logo (2017-2021)


Visuals: The sequence starts in front of a big mountain in the print logo. The logo zooms up, through a blue bar that contains all the stars, the logotype and then another blue bar with the white Paramount+ print logo of the era. The background turns white as the logo, now in blue, is farther away. The print logo flips to the big plus sign that is to the next of "Paramount" in the logo. It slides to the right, then slides to the left as it carries the Nickelodeon logo in blue. The screen then cuts to the plus sign in white over a blue background, then the mountain in a circle (like the print logo), then either the Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, MTV or Channel 5 logo with the plus sign next to it flipped sideways, then three of the plus signs over a blue background, which multiplies.

Technique: 2D computer animation, which mostly unifies with the Paramount Network branding. Done by Alex Norris and Blake Neale at Loyalkaspar and Paramount Global.

Audio: None.

Availability: Seen on the SpongeBob SquarePants episodes "Goofy Scoopers/Pat the Dog" on the Russian service Okko, as well as the 2021 VH1 film Let's Get Merried and other shows from Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, MTV and Channel 5.

2nd Logo (March 4, 2021-)


Visuals: The logo uses the 2011 Paramount Pictures logo starting at the point where the stars skim the lake, making ripples in the process. As we fly nearer to the mountain, the stars, both incoming and encircling the mountain, become two-dimensional and white in color whilst the background fades into blue. The mountain then transitions into a two-dimensional form with a cut circle wiping behind it, turning the stars into blue; as this is happening, the glossy text "Paramount+" zooms out and fades into white to take place beneath the mountain. A reflection of the "Paramount+" text fades in below.

Trivia:

  • This logo may remind some logo fans of the 1975-1986 Paramount Pictures logo, in which the background fades to blue after a few seconds and the realistic mountain turns into a stylized version, just like the Paramount Players logo.
  • Instead of 22 stars, there are 13 stars in this logo, which represent each letter in the name. The Paramount+ icon later became the icon used for Paramount Global logo on February 16, 2022 and the Paramount Network logo on February 24, 2024.

Variants:

  • A prototype version of the 12-second version of this logo exists; some of the stars animate differently in this version.
  • On the 12-second and six-second variants of this logo:
    • For Paramount+ originals, the the white text "ORIGINAL", in Paramount's custom typeface, Peak Sans, zooms in from behind the "Paramount+" text.
    • For Paramount+ exclusives, the above variant is used, but "EXCLUSIVE" replaces "ORIGINAL".
    • For the Channel 5 airing of Paramount+ Presents: Halo, the above variant is used, but "ORIGINAL SERIES" replaces "ORIGINAL".
    • For the Channel 5 airing of Paramount+ Presents: Tulsa King, the above variant is used, but "PRESENTS" replaces "ORIGINAL".
  • A six-second version of the logo also exists. It lacks the 2011 Paramount Pictures logo as the backdrop, leaving the background blue throughout. It is also sped up in the app variant, but it can be viewed in portrait and landscape views.
  • A three-second sped-up version of the above variant also exists, and can be seen when launching the Paramount+ app on mobile devices and TV platforms, like Amazon Fire TV.
  • Another six-second custom variant also exists on Nickelodeon-produced original series such as Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years, the 2021 Rugrats revival and Star Trek: Prodigy. This variant also cuts much of the logo's formation to make way for the iconic Nickelodeon blimp (modeled after the Kids' Choice Awards trophy, with the 2009 logo on it) to zip from the right of the screen, flying around the logo before abruptly colliding with the mountain, causing the "+" part of the "Paramount+" text to twirl as the blimp lightly floats up.
  • A variant where the bottom text reads "EXCLUSIVE MOVIE" exists.
  • On the preview of the aforementioned 2021 Rugrats revival and the Nickelodeon promo, a three-second version of the logo exists, and it starts at the point where the stars are almost finished encircling the mountain. This version also appears on trailers for Paramount+ content and the end of the films (for example, Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin), as well as on The Offer and other future shows.
  • At the end of most shows, a two-second version of the above variant exists. The stars do not animate and the "Paramount+" text is also not in glossy 3D in this version.
  • On shows and films shot in 2.35:1/2.39:1 scope, like season 2 of Why Women Kill and season 5 of The Good Fight, the logo is shifted up so more of the reflection can be seen.
  • On the Xbox app version, when starting up, there is an M12 Warthog LRV from Halo driving around the logo as it animates before going behind it. (This is in reference to the Paramount+ show Halo, which is based off of the Xbox game franchise with the same name.)
  • A variant cropped to 4:3 was spotted on a Comedy Central UK print of the pilot to The Ren & Stimpy Show, plastering the 1990/91 Nickelodeon Productions logo.
  • On NCIS: Sydney, the logo slowly zooms in.
  • On the trailer for Knuckles, the logo is on a red background at first, but then the blue background appears via one of the rings from the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise zooming in.

Technique: CGI. The Nickelodeon variant includes the blimp in CGI. The branding was done by Loyalkaspar. The 2011 Paramount Pictures logo by Devastudios and animated using Terragen by Planetside Studios and Autodesk Maya was used as its basis. None on the console app bootup screen (which plays before the actual logo when booting up on Xbox).

Audio: A shimmering theme reminiscent to an orchestra warmup with three initial piano notes, followed by a seven-note string/piano melody (the last seven notes of the 2011 Paramount Pictures logo by Michael Giacchino), finished with a stinger once "Paramount+" flies in. Composed by YouTooCanWoo.

Audio Variants:

  • The six-second version of the logo has a short version of the 7-note theme.
  • The three-second version of the logo has the last note of the aforementioned 6-second theme.
  • The two-second version has a different piano note based on the mnemonic.
  • The Nickelodeon variant has the sound effects of the blimp playing over the 6-second theme.
  • On episode 9 of post-March 2021 prints of Stephen King's The Stand, the music from the closing CBS All Access Originals logo is heard due to a plastering error.
  • On Paramount+ Latin America's launch day drone show video, a re-orchestrated version of the current Paramount Pictures fanfare by Michael Giacchino is heard.
  • On the app variant, it is silent.
  • Otherwise, it's the opening/closing theme of the film/show.
  • The Xbox bootup variant just has the sound of tires skidding as the Warthog drives around.

Availability:

  • This logo first appeared on September 13, 2020 (the day the rebrand was announced) on Paramount+'s introduction video and as an unlisted video on ViacomCBS' official YouTube channel.
  • Starting on March 4, 2021, the logo appears preceding all original content for Paramount+.
    • Pre-March 2021 original series, e.g. Star Trek: Discovery, has it plastering the CBS All Access logos.
  • The Nickelodeon variant made its debut on Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years, and appears on Nick-produced content made for the service, such as the Rugrats and iCarly reboots, Big Nate, Star Trek: Prodigy, and The Fairly OddParents: Fairly Odder.
    • It also appears at the beginning of trailers for Nick-produced Paramount+ content. However, this is removed on linear airings of all of these shows.
  • The six-second version without "ORIGINAL" appears before and during shows on the Paramount+ Picks channel on Pluto TV and prints of non-original, non-exclusive Paramount+ content (such as Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh and The Patrick Star Show) on Prime Video Channels. It is also used as a bumper for other Paramount+ content.
  • The two-second version appears at the end of most shows on Paramount+.
    • However, it does not appear at the end of Nick- or MTV-produced content for the service.
  • The "EXCLUSIVE" variant appears on post-March 2021 prints of Coyote.
  • The "EXCLUSIVE MOVIE" variant so far appears on promos for films released in Australia on the service, and it's unknown if any other countries have this variant.
  • The logo also appears on U.S. prints of The In Between however in other countries when the film is shown on Netflix this gets replaced by the Netflix Originals logo despite Paramount+ being available in those countries.
  • Just like the previous logos, on international prints of some of their shows like Star Trek: Picard gets this logo cut off or have it replaced by other logos such as the Amazon Originals logo.
    • Netflix prints of Star Trek: Prodigy however, remove the Nickelodeon variant of the logo, instead cutting straight into the opening credits.
  • The Halo variant is exclusive to the Xbox version of the app when booting up the app.
CBS All Access
Paramount+
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