How Viceland Uses Branding, Experiential and Content to Punch Above Its Weight

Viceland isn’t even 3 years old, but in that time it’s employed distinctive branding, marketing and content initiatives—all steeped in the Vice DNA—to gain a remarkable amount of consumer awareness on a limited budget. 

“The biggest challenge for Viceland right now is that we are a new television network on the scene when there is such a proliferation of content,” Meghan Kirsch, svp of marketing and creative at the network, told Muse at Clio Entertainment judging a few weeks back. “To have as much brand awareness for Viceland as Vice, which is a 25-year-old brand, is incredible.” 

Among its success: a stark visual brand identity that won a Grand Clio last year; the Viceland Bus, a literal experiential vehicle that’s instantly recognizable, and serves multiple purposes, across the country; and the recent “Things” campaign, which removed color and context from iconic images representating political issues (like the American flag, a gun, a globe, etc.) and invited viewers to call a number and leave their thoughts—which were then used in on-air promos. 

In the video above, Kirsch—who was also a Clio Entertainment judge this year—talks about all three of those efforts, and how Viceland’s creatives nimbly produce lots of content every day to continue to build the network’s awareness and cultural relevance. 

Below, check out the case study for “Things.”