NBC News switches to ‘Ukraine Invasion’ banner

NBC and MSNBC transitioned from using the label “Ukraine Crisis” to “Ukraine Invasion” during the day Feb. 24, 2022.

MSNBC creates gritty look for ‘Ukraine Crisis’

The new billing uses the same design that network has been using for at least a week now but with the wording updated.

The move comes the same day that CBS switched to “War in Ukraine” form “Crisis in Ukraine.”

CBS upgrades ‘crisis’ to ‘war’ in Ukraine graphics

This look uses the blue and yellow color scheme of the Ukrainian flag along with other elements including military imagery, a rough texture, map of Ukraine with a classic atlas look, the country’s coat of arms and “target” icons as well as a large star.

The star appears to have been inspired by the Hero of Ukraine (Герой України)’s Order of Gold Star medal that uses a five pointed star in its design and serves as the highest honor a citizen of the country can receive from the president.

MSNBC has an updated stinger bump and animated wipe that began appearing on air the morning of Feb. 24.

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The look was also incorporated into the virtual set extensions “MSNBC Reports” uses throughout the day with an option for both the text positioned over the anchor’s shoulder or a collage of stills for a centered one shot.

MSNBC’s ‘Andrea Mitchell Reports’ originating from Washington showcasing the OTS style virtual set extension with ‘Ukraine Invasion’ graphic. All of the elements behind Mitchell and her chair are simulated and fed to an LED video wall behind her and, although they look somewhat structural, do not exist as hard scenic.

In this alternate look, roughly the same space occupied by the logotype features a boxy collage of stills. 

The network also extended the look to a background graphic used during select commercial breaks with the “squeezeback” format featuring lower third style element running along the bottom promising “continuing coverage ahead.”

The logotype is in the upper right of the larger frame reserved for the ad, while there’s an option to put a live feed in a smaller box below.

Earlier in the day, “Today” used the headline “Ukraine Under Attack” during its coverage, but not with the blue and yellow look.

MSNBC used variations of the look throughout the day, including behind the gold toned sliding panel featuring the grid layout of Washington, D.C. that can be arranged so that a real window or video wall is behind it.

During “MTP Daily,” correspondent Andrea Mitchell was set up in front of that along with a blue and yellow background that had a band of Ukrainian regions running along it.

Other versions included just the blue and yellow elements with the distinctive angled separation between them. 

Katy Tur sits in front of a video wall background with the ‘Ukraine Invasion’ logotype awkwardly cut off camera right.

Sunday, Feb. 27, 2022’s ‘Meet the Press’ used this graphic in the lower left corner in select bumps.