Case Study: Saturday Night Live celebrates its 50th season with a new identity and opening titles from Pentagram

Saturday Night Live celebrates 50 years with Pentagram’s 6-day opener

The legendary sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live (SNL) faced the challenge of celebrating its landmark 50th anniversary season with a new identity and opening title sequence that honored the milestone without being overly nostalgic. The show's executive producer tasked vendor Pentagram with creating a current look that would also pay tribute to the creativity and crew behind the production.

Pentagram collaborated with SNL's film unit director to create the show's most elaborate opener to date. The solution was a seamless, surreal sequence that moves from New York City streets into identical studio sets, offering a peek behind the scenes and incorporating Easter eggs from past seasons. The new SNL50 identity and the extensive title sequence successfully celebrated the anniversary with a modern, forward-looking feel, culminating in a primetime special montage that served as a madcap time capsule of the show's 50-year history.

Saturday Night Live