CBS updates election graphics with bolder colors, glassy 3D elements

CBS News unveiled another update to its election design for Super Tuesday 2024.

Networks promote Super Tuesday coverage

The network continues to use the branding “America Decides” with the subtitle “Campaign ’24” and continues to use a wordmark that is very similar to the one introduced in 2022, replacing the 2020 look.

In this latest update, unveiled March 5, 2024, CBS has shifted to a richer, glassier design for key portions complemented with virtual views of Washington, D.C. and light, bright and clean elements for fullscreen looks.

The extended open for Super Tuesday 2024 started with a black, glossy map of the United States with white borders for each state. A textural element is added in thanks to extruded county outlines at multiple levels.

An energetic bundle of red, white, and blue laser lines slithers over the map, with a similar element blended in elsewhere throughout the look.

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For its cold open, the network continued the dark background theme with subtly shaded 3D blocks in front of multiple white framed images, with the option to add red and blue corner accents.

Meanwhile, a multi-layered star is often used as a transitional animation. This star element, of course, creates connections to past CBS designs, dating back to the 2000s.

CBS anchored coverage from the Washington, D.C., home of “CBS Evening News,” with the video walls showing highly, glassy 3D red, blue and clear ribbons and bejeweled stars. 

Additional video wall graphics, used primarily in the corners of the studio, have a flatter look and incorporate simulated mounting hardware.

The network continues to use a subtle 3D oversized CBS eye background for on-screen graphics showcasing results, exit polling, maps and other data visualizations. These graphics appeared earlier in the 2024 election cycle and represent an even cleaner design than 2022.

There is also the option to display data and other information over an idealized 3D scene of the capital city, including tracking Donald Trump and Nikki Haley’s delegate counts using red bars spanning the Reflecting Pool. 

These scenes have warm lighting, and the overlaid graphics are inspired by the colored bars used in other parts of the design. 

This bold update for CBS notably strays, apart from the backgrounds behind fullscreens and small parts of select wipes, from the deconstructed eye approach the network spent years implementing across its properties. 

That said, it is also a bold, eye-catching design with vibrant hues and detailed glassy rendering that create a bright, fresh feel to contrast with the darker, more sophisticated looks used elsewhere. 

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