Platinum Jubilee gets plenty of purple, Trajan treatment — but with some twists mixed in

As Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II celebrates 70 years on the throne, U.S. networks are packing coverage with plenty of violets and elegant typography (with Trajan, not surprisingly, making multiple appearances across networks).

Coverage has been ramping up throughout the week of May 30, 2022, and ABC News‘ “Good Morning America” billed its June 2, 2022 broadcast as a “special edition” with a custom announce noting that show was originating live from Times Square, Kyiv, Ukraine and London.

Buckingham Palace typically marks key milestones in its reigning monarch’s rule at intervals such as 25, 40, 50 and 60 years, which it calls a jubilee. Each event is labeled with a corresponding gemstone or metal color that are also commonly used to mark wedding and other anniversaries in both the U.K. and U.S. — such as silver for 25 years. 

Platinum has typically considered the 70th-anniversary “color” — and given Elizabeth’s long reign, she is so far the first and only British Monarch to reach that milestone.

In theory, if she were to make it to 75 or 80 years, “diamond white” and “ruby red,” respectively, are on many published lists of anniversary colors (ruby is also used for 40th while diamond white is also used for 60, though the U.K. used simply “diamond” back in 2012).

In addition to “GMA3” co-anchors T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach being live in London for jubilee coverage, co-anchor Robin Roberts had also journeyed to Ukraine to interview Olena Zelenska, the wife of the country’s president as the country continues to battle with Russia’s unprovoked invasion, and the network made sure to emphasizes its global nature that morning. 

Back in the show’s Times Square Studios, co-anchors George Stephanopoulos and Michael Strahan were on set with Eva Pilgrim in Robert’s spot.

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“GMA” used its normal lower thirds in both tease headlines and coverage, but sprinkled in violet, the traditional color of royalty that is often used to accompany TV news coverage of royal weddings, funerals and jubilees, along with an animated element that formed the outline of a crown using a flowing ribbon of what is presumably meant to be platinum.

In addition to Avenir, the show’s standard lower third typeface, there was a “The Queen’s Jubilee” logo created in a serif featuring a distinctive “Q” and “J” as well as the “U” that is the second letter in the two major words. 

The network used a mix of the Union Jack’s red, white and blue look along with shades of purple, which is conveniently the color formed when blue and red are blended.

Elsewhere in the broadcast, a different typeface was used, however, also with a distinct “Q,” “J” and “U” — but with distinct differences. This look also appeared to blend the Union Jack look with a sort a slight violet overlay.

At least one walk and wander floating camera shot used to toss to London also showcased the new three-panel video array installed in the first floor of the Times Square studio, with the segments both separated and pivoted.