Launching a new channel can be a bit like having a baby. Lots of thrashing about in darkened rooms, nine months of angst and discomfort, more thrashing about (and a bit of screaming) followed by total exhaustion.

Dave however would be a very different kind of baby. Conceived by ourselves and UKTV as 'The Home of Witty Banter', Dave was to be positioned as alternative, smart and definitely not laddish, Dave's your funniest best mate.

But he's more than just a person, he's a place - a retreat from the everyday with a warm and relaxed atmosphere. A place where anything can happen and anything is possible, providing a new home for the likes of QI, Little Britain and The Catherine Tate Show.

In creating Dave's channel identity we had to subvert expectation and offer his smart and savvy audience a piece of communication that would reward repeated viewing.

All six initial idents take place over a weekend in the world of Dave. Their aim is to engage the audience by depicting unusual situations and stories, as brought to life by a set of friends, all of whom are bold and distinctive characters.

From arrival, to dinner being served, to leaving the party - nothing is quite what it seems. Our friends find themselves in unusual situations (often of their own making), from waking-up in a crash landed boat after a hard night's reveling, to setting up camp in the ballroom after a party.

All around them lies the wonderfully visual bric-a-brac of the country house: oil paintings in huge gilt frames, stuffed giraffes and bears. The combined on-screen package and navigational elements use these details to build a sense of place - together pushing the surreal, left-field nature of the channel.

The Dave logo is embedded within each scene and the idents set out to venture into new territory for channel branding. By developing a cast of characters that can grow within the lifespan of the identity, we have branded the channel by visual narrative and story, rather than just logotype alone.

We're all very proud of Dave at Red Bee Media and are convinced that he's going to be quite a star!