The official name of the German TV channel KiKA is Der Kinderkanal von ARD und ZDF, which translates to “The Children’s Channel of ARD and ZDF” in English. Aimed at viewers aged 3 to 13, KiKA features a peculiar mascot: a perpetually depressed loaf of bread nicknamed Bernd das Brot.
The channel was launched on January 1, 1997, as Der Kinderkanal. It preserved this name until 2000. The original programming was based on series and shows that were already being aired on the parent channels, ARD and ZDF. In addition to original German content, the channel also broadcasts international series.
What is KiKA?
KiKA is a free-to-air TV channel based in Erfurt, Germany, targeted primarily at children and teenagers. The content mainly consists of live-action series and animated series, with no advertising.
The original KiKA logo already featured the yellow color that has been the distinctive part of the brand’s visual identity ever since. The design showcased two very similar, but not identical, X marks/ The first one is red, the second one—yellow.
There was something anthropomorphic in them, and the yellow “X” even had a hand, with which it was “holding” its fellow’s “hand”. In a way, the design implied that the channel is the viewer’s friend.
Over the X marks, the name of the channel was written in white inside a dark blue ellipse.
After Der Kinderkanal adopted its current name, the logo was redrawn. However, it preserved the familiar structure and color scheme. Each of the X marks was replaced by a syllable from the channel’s name. The syllables were yellow and red, like X marks in the old logo, but now the yellow one was first.
The blue ellipse turned into a circle, while the words “Der Kinderkanal” were replaced by the letter “X”, which only reinforced the similarity to the previous version. The circle represented the dot in the brand’s name.
The design became more minimalistic. It was partly due to the simplified palette—only yellow and dark teal were left. Also, the playful tilted “I” disappeared—now all the letters adhered to the rules and stood within the line.
Yellow, which has been prominent in the KiKA logo ever since the first version was introduced, is an optimistic and youthful color. It has been complemented by shades of blue. The older logo also featured red, which made the design brighter and more eye-catching. But it was dropped to make the logo simpler and easier to insert in various visual contexts.