Virgin1 unveils puppet-led rebrand

Virgin1 has announced that a puppet named Red is to become the new face of its channel.

The character, who is described as "naughty, impish and fun-filled", will feature in Virgin1's on-air idents after the station is rebranded next week.

Red will provide commentary on Virgin1's output in between programmes and will be seen interacting with stars such as Chuck's Zachary Levi and Danny Dyer. He will also argue with Virgin1 continuity announcers.

"This is the first time ever a character has been used to embody and personify the values of a channel in quite this way, and we're delighted to be pushing boundaries once again," said Jeff Dodds, brand and marketing director at VMTV. "We hope that Red is not just someone that viewers will come to associate with the channel, but that his character and individuality will make them love Virgin1 even more."

As part of the rebrand, the Virgin1 logo has also been redesigned with a "retro feel" to more closely align the channel with the Virgin brand.

The new-look Virgin1 will go live at 9pm on Tuesday, June 9.