CNN previews ‘This Morning’ logo in coffee shop-themed promo

CNN is moving fast to get its new morning show “CNN This Morning” launched Nov. 1, 2022, and its first promo gives some hints at what the show might look and feel like — but also leaves plenty of questions open. 

The promo also includes what appears to be the show’s logo design, which, not surprisingly, features the familiar CNN logo with the words “This” and “Morning” placed next to it on two separate lines, with each one being roughly half the height of the primary mark.

The lettering appears to be set in a variation of the FF Din font. 

Meanwhile, the trio of anchor names — Don Lemon, Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins, appears below with red vertical pipe accents separating each name.

It’s hard not to see how the “CNN This Morning” logo has essentially the same layout to “CBS This Morning,” the former name of CBS’s morning show whose second iteration was created by current CNN CEO Chris Licht.

Along with the logo, CNN has also released an extended promo that depicts the three co-anchors around a cafe table at a coffee shop. 

Included in the first part of the spot are some quick shots showing the pair getting ready to record the promo, including glimpses of the crew and clapper board as Lemon comes to the table carrying a cup of coffee.

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The promo emphasizes the team as a “group of friends” and appears to portray the new show as being shaped around conversations, at least according to on-screen text.

Another screen declares the show as “a different morning show.” Licht has been on record as saying the show will be a “disrupter” in the genre, but it’s not exactly clear how.

Often these words are placed in front of heavily stylized shots of coffee being prepared and served.

Lemon, Harlow and Collins discuss their professional relationship as well as what they describe as off-camera friendships.

At one point, Collins, who was notably named CNN’s youngest White House correspondent at 28, notes that she was in 8th grade in 2006, the year Lemon started at CNN, triggering some giggles. 

The team also discusses what they envision a morning newscast as.

“A morning show is like when people walk into a diner. You walk in and get whatever news you can and you start your day,” says Lemon. 

“People’s time is so valuable. If they have 15 minutes to watch the news, that’s a lot of time,” notes Collins.

Morning news is known for being something people have on while getting out the door, particularly in the earlier part of the morning and it’s widely accepted that many of these viewers only stick around for a small chunk of time, meaning a lot of content can be repeated, often with little or no changes (“Morning Joe” on MSNBC frequently plays recordings of live segments from earlier in the morning in its later hours).

The conversation then pivots to the anchors asking each other what they think the new show will be like.

“What do you think this new show will be?” Lemon asks.

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“It’s your job to connect all the dots for someone who’s, like, getting ready with their kids in the morning and has like five minutes to watch the news,” Collins says.

Overall, the promo doesn’t really hint at anything revolutionary about “CNN This Morning” — many morning shows aim to portray their anchors as friends or even a big happy family along with a fast pace designed for people getting ready for the day.

Conversations, meanwhile, have been a trademark of Licht’s producing style from the days when he was at “Morning Joe” through “CBS This Morning.” 

In fact, the three anchor format, which “CBS This Morning” and its predecessor “CBS Mornings” use, seems primed to open up opportunities for more anchor chats and discussions about stories. 

“People just want to be heard,” says Harlow. 

“It’s really all about the conversation,” adds Lemon before quickly pivoting to portray the show as journalism and fact-based.

“We’re the place for accuracy and content,” Lemon says at the end of the promo.

The spot ends with the show’s logo and date and time of the premiere set against a light wood background.