Independent cabler INSP is trying on a new logo. The growing network has refocused its programming mix on westerns for some time, and is set to unveil a brand refresh on Tuesday that leans into that identity.
The new INSP logo, along with tagline “Heroes Live Here,” features a cowboy hat front and center, which will now serve as the network’s brand identifier. INSP chief operating officer Dale Ardizzone revealed the new look exclusively to Variety.
“We’ve really cemented our position as being the go-to place for classic western and western-adjacent programming,” Ardizzone said. “As we looked at where we are and the general central themes that run throughout all of our programming, we wanted to overhaul the logo in a way that really represented what we become.”
INSP was originally born as the PTL Network, and later became known as “Inspiration.” In 2010, the channel underwent a major overhaul to become a family-friendly general entertainment network, under the name INSP. Over time, the network’s programming mix focused on more western fare — and the ratings continued to climb. As Variety noted last month in its annual end-of-year broadcast and cable ranker, INSP grew another 17% in primetime, averaging 788,000 viewers — up from 432,000 five years earlier.
The previous INSP logo, which had been used since the 2010 relaunch featured the network name an arch that symbolized a sunrise. INSP marketing EVP Hayes Tauber and his team worked with designer Paula Scher to come up with the new look.
“The textured hat represents salt-of-the-earth people with heart and soul, who have put in a hard day’s work,” Tauber said. “The hat is positioned on the text with swagger, quietly communicating that we are a network to be reckoned with.”
The logo is also meant to help convey what INSP broadcasts, since the name — which the company has opted to stick with — isn’t an abbreviation and doesn’t really indentify what the channel is all about anymore. “We think it represents who we are today… [The hat] does sort of the heavy lifting,” says Ardizzone. “It’s intentional that it sits over the name and that it sort of rests like it’s on a fence post on the first two letters. For those who know the content and the network, it obviously makes complete sense. And those who wonder why we have a Western on, it tells the story almost immediately. That was part of the goal.”
Besides acquired western content, INSP originals include “Wild West Chronicles,” now in its second season, and competition series “Ultimate Cowboy Showdown,” hosted by country artist Trace Adkins, now in its third. INSP is currently available in 62 million households.