Eurovision Song Contest 2011

For my non-European readers, the Eurovision Song Contest is a music competition, arranged annually by the European public broadcasters through the European Broadcasting Union. This year's edition started yesterday. The second semi-final is tomorrow and grand final takes place on Saturday. Germany is the host country this year, as they won the competition last year.

Every year, the host broadcaster produces a new visual identity and graphics package for their broadcast. Since 2004, there has been a standardised logo to symbolise the competition each year, but the host broadcaster usually produces a unique identity ("theme art") around this logo.

This year's host, NDR, turned to the London motion design agency Turquoise the develop the contest's identity. The visual identity was revealed on January 13 and is based on the slogan "Feel your heart beat!", and the symbol is a "pulsating" heart made up of light rays in different and varying colours. It is called a "heart marque", and is used in throughout much of the identity. In the presentations for individual participating countries it is coloured after their respective national flags.

An identity toolbox with the most important visual elements.

The main version of the identity,
as presented on January 13.

Turquoise have summarised their thinking like this:

Based on the line ‘Feel your heart beat!’, our new visual identity has been designed to migrate seamlessly across visual mediums as both an energetic and uplifting static identity as well as a dynamic animation in all on-screen graphics.

They are also promising much more information after the event.
 
Turquoise have posted a great montage of the branding work they did for the song contest. You should watch all of it, but it also contains a bunch of visuals that must be shared as still images.
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