MUMBAI: "We never take ourselves seriously." What else can you expect from someone who is involved 24x7 with Comedy Central?

For the uninitiated, Comedy Central is the only all-comedy network in the US and is owned by Comedy Partners, which is a wholly-owned division of MTV Networks.

 
At the concluding day of the Promax&BDA conference in Mumbai, Comedy Central vice president on-air design Kendrick Reid (dressed in traditional Indian attire) captured audiences' attention as he showcased various promo designs the channel had undertaken in the past, which were true to its brand proposition.

"Like our brand, street art has a distinct point of view, is creative, spontaneous and connects with the audience. This was the super glue for us. We used the elements of street art and gradually introduced it in our promos over a period of time," Reid said.

 
 
The channel went in for an artistic and eclectic look, staying true to its philosophy that supported the brand. The new look evolved across the entire network, be it in live action, 2D, 3D or animation.

 
 
Comedy Central also personalised its channel IDs for various holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas or Hanukkah (an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Temple of Jerusalem in 165 BC). "It's not just about design, there has to be a promo campaign that provides that glue that sticks," Reid said.

"At Comedy Central, we believe in responding to what is going on in our society. One such thing was our reaction towards the innumerable reality shows that were hitting American television screens," Reid said.

The channel rolled out promos of phony reality shows like - Handicap House, The Vault and While You Were Drunk - to show how ridiculous these reality shows could be. Interestingly, the channel received numerous inquiry calls from viewers to find out how to participate in these shows!

Comedy Central was launched in April 1991 and is seen in over 85 million US cable households in all the 50 states and US territories.