Noggin (brand)

Noggin's logo spots used a wide range of styles, including live-action, stop motion, puppetry, and traditional animation.

Until 2019, Noggin's brand was defined by its versatile character logo: the bottom half of a smiling face.[10] The upper half of the logo featured various icons that represented a certain topic or idea that the head was "thinking of" (e.g. a beaker to reflect science, flowers to reflect springtime).[4] In the network's early years, hundreds of different "toppers" were designed for the logo,[10] and they were used throughout Noggin's commercials and website. The face in the logo was allowed to wink, show its teeth, and make expressions based on the theme, making it interactive and showing it as a character of itself.[4] Noggin's artists were given a lot of creative freedom for their designs, with one rule being that the toppers should always complement the Noggin face, not outshine or overpower it.[4]

Noggin's logo was featured in a large amount of original shorts and animations that ran between shows on the channel.[4] Noggin's marketing team intentionally looked to hire "sick and twisted"[8] independent animators to create station ID commercials, hoping that they could each bring their own personal design elements to the logo. The goal was to make the logo, as well as the channel as a whole, "look unlike any other network."[8]

After Noggin extended its preschool daytime block in 2002, a new set of "topper" designs were introduced, based on traditional children's art such as crayon drawings and paper crafts.[11] In 2019, Nickelodeon retired the original Noggin face logo along with former hosts Moose and Zee.[12] The logo was replaced with a lowercase noggin wordmark written in purple, while Moose and Zee were replaced with "more recognizable" characters from Nickelodeon's preschool shows.[12]

The first and most significant service established under Noggin was a cable and satellite television channel, operating from February 2, 1999, until September 28, 2009. During its first few years, Noggin's lineup mainly showed reruns from Sesame Workshop and Nickelodeon's libraries.[13][14] Classic episodes of The Electric Company and 3-2-1 Contact were broadcast in hopes of attracting teenagers and Generation Xers who watched those shows growing up.[15] The providers had over 5,000 hours of library material to broadcast.[16]

Noggin's first original show for 6- to 12-year-olds was A Walk In Your Shoes, which was made because Noggin felt that this age group was "underserved when it comes to new, quality educational television."[17] A live game show aimed at pre-teens, Sponk!, premiered a year afterwards.[18] Sponk! was one of many series that featured viewer-submitted content from Noggin's website, along with the animated Phred on Your Head and its spin-off URL with Phred. In 2002, the channel divided itself into two blocks: a daytime block for preschoolers and a nighttime block, The N, for teens.[6]

Noggin consistently received ratings that were substantially higher than Nickelodeon's other sister channels. It was viewed by an average of 529,000 households daily in early 2009.[19] At the time of its closure, Noggin reached nearly 70 million households in the United States (as opposed to the 1.5 million subscribers it reached upon being launched).[20]

Noggin's teen-oriented block, The N, aired nightly at 6 p.m.

The N was a nighttime programming block on the Noggin channel, aimed at pre-teens and teenagers. It premiered on April 1, 2002, and aired until December 31, 2007. Promotions advertised the block as "The N: The New Name for Nighttime on Noggin." It took several months for Noggin to choose the right name for the block; as reported by Kidscreen in 2002, they needed a name to "help distance and distinguish the tween programming from the preschool fare,"[21] but the legal department also required the block to maintain a relation to Noggin's main name.[21]

Noggin's preexisting tween-targeted shows — like A Walk in Your Shoes and Sponk! — only aired during The N from 2002 onward. Noggin LLC produced several original series for the block, including the news program Real Access, the game show Best Friend's Date, the animated comedy O'Grady, and the drama South of Nowhere. The N was also the U.S. broadcast home of Degrassi: The Next Generation, the latest iteration of the eponymous Canadian teen drama franchise. From 2007 to 2009, The N had its own short-lived 24-hour channel, but the channel was later closed and merged with Nickelodeon's block TEENick to form TeenNick.[22][23][24]

One of Viacom and Sesame Workshop's goals was to develop Noggin into a "cable-computer hybrid."[25] Noggin.com, the channel's website, was launched in 1999 as a portal for exclusive content. Unlike Nick.com and other previous online ventures, the website was integrated into many television shows.[26] Viewers were encouraged to offer suggestions for programs, such as the tween-oriented game show Sponk!, through the site. Throughout 2000, Bill Nye of Bill Nye the Science Guy answered questions asked by Noggin.com users between airings of his show.[27][28] User-generated content submitted to Noggin.com was the focal point of The URL with Phred Show (whose title is a reference to the Noggin.com URL).[29][30] In 2001, Noggin launched "Chattervision", which allowed viewers to comment on the network's programming through the website and see their conversations appear live on TV.[31]

In 2001, CRC Press published "Interactive Design for Media and the Web", which provided an in-depth description of Noggin.com and stated that it included "complex and confounding games that kids will enjoy."[32] Noggin.com was also listed in Dierdre Kelly's book "1001 Best Websites for Kids," published in the same year.[33] In 2004, the site was the recipient of a Webby Award in the "Broadband" category.[34] Later that year, it won first place in the "Brand Image and Positioning" category at the 21st Annual CTAM Mark Awards.[35] 2004 also saw the release of Shell Education's "Must See Websites for Parents & Kids" book, which featured Noggin.com.[36] Time Magazine included the Noggin site on its "50 Best Websites of 2004" list.[37] It won a second Webby in the Youth category in 2005.[38] In 2006, John Braheny published "The Craft & Business of Songwriting", which included a brief entry about Noggin.com's musical content (calling it "an innovative and popular site...that presents videos of children's artists").[39] Jean Armour Polly of Common Sense Media gave the site a positive review in 2007, noting that "young kids will get a kick out of playing games, coloring printable pages, and singing along to music videos all featuring their favorite TV characters."[40] In 2008, it received a Parents' Choice Award[41] and a nomination for a third Webby.[42]

Viacom put $100 million[43] toward online gaming initiatives, such as a subscription-based educational site called MyNoggin, in July 2007.[44][45] The MyNoggin website was initially scheduled to launch in early September of that year,[46] but was not made available to the public until October.[47] The site's content was curriculum-based and intended for children in preschool through first grade.[48] The games on MyNoggin covered major school subjects and included Noggin characters.[49] In addition to activities, MyNoggin included printable workbooks that expanded upon math and science concepts.[50] Parents were able to monitor their children's growth and activity on the site through daily progress reports.[51] The website was free of advertisements and supported by subscriptions, which were available for online purchase and through prepaid game cards sold throughout 2008.[52][53] Charter, Insight and Cox Communications customers were given unlimited access to MyNoggin as part of their cable subscriptions.[54][55][56] The site also offered a week-long free trial.[57]

In February 2015, it was announced that Noggin would be relaunched as a mobile streaming app.[58][59] The app was released on March 5.[60] It includes full episodes of former Noggin shows, as well as some exclusive series and currently-running Nickelodeon series.[61] In May 2015, many shows that had previously been available on Amazon Instant Video were moved to the Noggin app.[62] On November 18, 2015, the app was made available for Android, Apple and Kindle. On April 8, 2016, Alcatel Mobile announced that the Noggin app would come pre-loaded on its Alcatel Xess tablet.[63]

The app received mixed reviews when it was released. Brad Tuttle of Time predicted that paying $6 a month for a streaming app with much less content than Netflix would not be a popular idea with parents.[64] Scott Porch of Wired felt that the Noggin app helped Viacom decrease its dependence on cable channels, but noticed that it was only "baby steps toward the no-cable-required model."[65] Amanda Bindel of Common Sense complimented the user-friendly layout and educational content, but felt that it needed more parental controls.[66] In fall 2015, the app received a Parents' Choice Award in the category.[67]

Two international apps based on Noggin have been launched. In November 2015, a Spanish version of the Noggin app was released in Latin America.[68][69][70] It includes some shows unavailable on the English app, such as the Spanish dubs of Roary the Racing Car and Rugrats.[71] The Spanish app had its own Facebook page and a section on the MundoNick website.[72] A Portuguese version was released on November 21, 2015.[73][74]

On September 21, 2020, it was announced that versions of Noggin would launch in the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Austria as an Amazon Prime Video premium add-on. The UK version of Noggin replaced the existing More Milkshake! service.[75]

The Noggin name was used for an otherwise unrelated programming block on Nick Jr. UK from May 2004 until September 2005.[76] It ran for two hours every night and included reruns of syndicated British television series for children. The block was renamed to Nick Jr. Classics.[77] On January 30, 2006, Noggin was launched as a block on TMF in the United Kingdom, this time in the style of the US Noggin.[78] The channel was available exclusively to Freeview subscribers at the time.[79] It ran every weekday from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m.[80][81]

Between 25 September 2006 and sometime in 2009, it was replaced by Nick Jr on TMF but the Noggin branding was restored in early or mid 2009 before TMF closed on 26 October 2009. Noggin continued for a short time on TMF's successor, VIVA, until March 2010, around the time Nickelodeon UK rebranded as a whole and removed Noggin from Viva, moving the Moose and Zee segments to the main Nick Jr. channel where they remained until January 2013.

Nickelodeon featured a Noggin programming block as part of its lineup from 1999 to 2001.[82] The block was originally titled "Noggins Up" and became "Noggin on Nickelodeon" during its second year on the air.[83] It showcased one tween-oriented program every weekday, including A Walk In Your Shoes and On the Team. The timeslot proved successful in attracting thousands of visitors to the Noggin.com site.[84] Nickelodeon revived the block for a single day on April 7, 2003, to advertise the restructuring of Noggin's lineup.[85][86] Commercials for the Noggin channel were also played between each regular program.[87] Following the block's removal, premiere episodes of Noggin series were frequently simulcast on Nickelodeon and Noggin.[88]

TV Land aired a one-night Noggin special in 1999.[89] Spanning two hours, the special featured reruns of The Electric Company, along with commercials for Noggin.[90] On-air continuity during the block included guest appearances by actors who had starred on The Electric Company.[91]

On May 28, 2021, the Nick Jr. channel introduced an hour-long block of programming from the Noggin app every Friday. Series featured in the timeslot include the Noggin originals Kinderwood and Noggin Knows, the CBeebies acquisitions Hey Duggee and JoJo & Gran Gran, and various interstitials played during commercial breaks.

In November 2005, Noggin signed its first merchandising agreement with the online marketplace CafePress.[92] Themed notebooks, cards, mousepads, and clothing were sold on the Noggin website from then until 2009.[93] The shop was created to satisfy parents who had been requesting merchandise since the brand's launch. Angela Leaney, Noggin's senior vice president of brand communications, stated that Noggin had "a huge, loyal following and we could not resist the calls from our audience, for Noggin merchandise, any longer."[94] CafePress co-founder Fred Durham added that Noggin attracted strong interest from his company because of its "dedicated fan base," and that his goal was to share the products "with [Noggin's] millions of fans through quality branded merchandise."[95] Christmas ornaments, which were only sold during the month of December, became the shop's best-selling items of 2005.[96]

In 1995, the Children's Television Workshop (now known as Sesame Workshop) began planning its own educational cable channel as a new home for most of its programming (other than Sesame Street) such as Cro (which had aired on ABC for two seasons).[97] The channel was to be called "New Kid City" and was planned to be CTW's "own niche on the dial with shows that emphasize educational content";[97] but CTW later abandoned the concept.

Meanwhile, Nickelodeon began planning an early interactive educational channel called "Big Orange"; in addition to Nickelodeon, other Viacom divisions (such as Viacom Interactive) were involved with the project.[98] After Nickelodeon's president Geraldine Laybourne left in 1996, the "Big Orange" project was put on indefinite hold.[99] By 1997, Nickelodeon retooled the project into Noggin, a syndicated television series which would meet the FCC's new requirements for educational programming. A pilot was produced by Nickelodeon, Simon & Schuster, and Paramount Television based on Nick's short series Inside Eddie Johnson. Viacom hoped to grow Noggin into a major brand with educational electronic publishing products, a website, and possibly a cable channel that would focus on educational content, complementing entertainment-oriented Nickelodeon.[100] In March, Nickelodeon revealed they would launch a commercial-free Noggin channel in 1998.[101]

On April 28, 1998,[102] Viacom and CTW put together an initial investment of $100 million[103] to start the first strictly educational television channel for children.[104][105] Both organizations wished to combine television and online services to create a "kids' thinking channel," which was named Noggin (derived from a slang term for "head") to reflect its purpose to educate.[106] Noggin's primary goal was to provide informative entertainment for children aged 6–12.[25] CTW initially planned for it to be an advertiser-supported service,[16] but later decided that it should debut as a commercial-free network.[107]

To develop ideas for original series, Noggin partnered with schools across the United States to research what would "make fun educational" for grade schoolers.[108] In 1999, it provided each school involved up to $7,100[109] to run focus groups with students and teachers. The students' opinions and reactions to different activities were recorded and used to improve the content shown on Noggin.

On February 2, 1999,[1] the Noggin channel launched to over 1.5 million subscribers via national satellite television provider Dish Network.[110][111] It was marketed as both a satellite television station and a digital network.

Sweepstakes were a major part of Noggin's early advertising. In April 1999, it sponsored a contest in which viewers who submitted the correct lyrics of The Electric Company theme song had a chance to have their electric bills paid for a year.[89][90] In 2000, Viacom's Nickelodeon and Sesame Workshop distributed packages of school supplies (called "Noggin's Master of Suspense Kits") to 50,000 U.S. teachers as part of a sweepstakes designed to "celebrate creative, thoughtful educational instruction."[112]

Noggin made an effort to create more interactive programming in 2001, utilizing its website as a way to include viewer participation in many of its shows.[113] It released a tween-oriented game show titled Sponk! in September, which included participation from children online and allowed Noggin.com visitors to chat with the hosts. The URL with Phred Show, which focused on content submitted to Noggin.com from viewers, launched in the same month.[29]

In 2001, the Jim Henson Company sold its stake in Noggin to Sesame Workshop along with the rights to Sesame Street's characters.[114] In March 2002, Noggin manager Tom Ascheim announced plans to restructure Noggin's schedule to cater to preschoolers during the day and older children at night.[115] On April 1, 2002, Noggin expanded its preschool and tween blocks to last 12 hours each. The preschool block, also called "the daytime block," lasted from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. The tween and teen block ran from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. each night, and it was retitled "The N."

In August 2002, Sesame Workshop sold its 50% share of Noggin to Viacom.[116][117] The buyout was partially caused by SW's need to pay off debt, in addition to its interest in partnering with other broadcasters.[118] While this limited Sesame Workshop's control over the network's daily operations, it did not affect the company's influence on the programming lineup as Viacom entered a multi-year production deal with Sesame Workshop shortly after the split and continued to broadcast co-produced series (such as Play with Me Sesame).[119] As part of the arrangement, Noggin became the U.S. broadcaster of several shows made by the Workshop without Noggin's involvement, such as Tiny Planets and Pinky Dinky Doo.[120][121]

Following the split, creative executives from Noggin toured New York schools in search of ways to improve the channel's programming and continuity.[11] Amy Friedman, senior vice president of development at Noggin, decided to model the channel after a well-run preschool. These ideas took effect in April 2003, when Noggin's slogan was changed to "It's Like Preschool on TV."[122] The changes also included revised branding and a new lineup, divided into thematic blocks based on key curricular knowledge.[123] On December 31, 2003, a Nielsen Media Research report confirmed that the redesigned Noggin channel was available in 37.1 million households.[124]

On February 23, 2009, Viacom announced that the Noggin channel would be replaced by a 24-hour channel based on Nickelodeon's long-running Nick Jr. block. The N, on the other hand, would be merged with Nickelodeon's TEENick block to form a standalone channel aimed at teenagers, known as TeenNick.[125] The move, which was intended to make all channels in the Nickelodeon family easily recognizable, took place on September 28, 2009, at 6:00 a.m. local time. Although several Noggin shows (along with the Moose and Zee interstitials) were carried over to the Nick Jr. channel, all Noggin continuity was later phased out completely by March 1, 2012.[126]

On January 29, 2015, Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman confirmed that the Noggin brand would be relaunched as a set of mobile subscription services.[127] Commercials for the service have aired regularly across all Nickelodeon channels since the apps' release.

On May 10, 2019, Viacom announced that the Noggin app had reached 2.5 million subscribers and that it would receive a major upgrade.[128] In June 2019, Nickelodeon unveiled a new Noggin logo, which was used on the redesigned Noggin website and app.