MTV: The brand that stays the same by constantly changing

[Random Facts: Founded by Warner Communications and American Express in 1981 and purchased by Viacom in 1985. According to Interbrand, it is also the world's most valuable individual media brand and it placed 50th in Business Week's top 100 global brand rankings.]

MTV is often considered to have begun as a voice for youth culture that slowly evolved, grew in influence, and subsequently became a manufacturer of youth culture. In knowing its co-founders (as well as present owner) its hard to see MTV as having been anything more than a manufacturer, packager and distributor of youth culture; a gigantic advertising program. A clever brand with so much appeal to youth it can sell music and lifestyle.

And hotdamn is it ever working. MTV has stayed relevant throughout two generations (X&Y) and continues to be just as youth relevant and influential today as it ever was. The brand is fascinating because it has very much remained the same since its creation but at the same time it has changed to keep up with current trends. It maintains its identity (logo, concern with youth music and lifestyle) but never loses "cool", relevance or trendiness. The MTV logo has not changed AT ALL since 1981 ... at all. You already know it but here it is:



This was the working logo in 1981, it remains their logo in 2007 and it has been the same every step of the way. The only exception to this is that on occassion they'll throw a pattern into the "M". I've been very in awe of MTV's brand for a long time because it maintains its image on a global scale, there' an MTV Canada, MTV UK, MTV Europe, MTV Latin America, MTV India, MTV Asia, and MTV Japan, etc.; and its (so far) timeless, maintaining its trendy, hip identity through changing trends while never having to alter its logo or concept.