Freeform. That’s not a rejected platform name, it’s ABC Family’s new name.
In a move that rivals Gannett’s changing its name to Tegna as the most ambiguous media re-brand this year, the Disney-owned cable channel announced today it will be dropping “family” from its name for the first time in nearly 30 years. The pivot is an effort to rid itself from the stodgy perception that its programming is for families (gross!).
The network reportedly considered 3,000 names, including “XYZ” or the simpler “ABCF,” yet it settled on Freeform. According to its president Tom Ascheim, the new name “evokes the spirit and adventure of our audience,” which is apparently a new demographic it has dubbed becomers.
Becomers — try typing it without rolling your eyes — is a term for a group of people that are between 14 and 34, squashed squarely between the millennial and Generation Z perimeters.
“The most important question that young people ask themselves as they’re going from high school to their thirties is, ‘Who am I becoming?’ So we call the life stage ‘becoming’ and the people going through it Becomers,” he explained in April.
One thing we know this target demo has already “become?” Jokesters. Shortly after ABC Family shed its dusty old title, people quickly mocked the stupid new name.
Here are some of the best:
Leaked alternate ABC Family rebrand options: Kinda #NSFW #SquadGoals It’ll Be On Netflix In 6 Months
— Cory Barker (@corybarker) October 6, 2015
I’m surprised ABC Family renamed itself Freeform instead of pandering more to millennials by just naming the network #AllDayBreakfast. — Andy Dehnart (@realityblurred) October 6, 2015
Can’t wait for MTV to one-up ABC Family’s #Freeform with its new network name: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
— Tim Baysinger (@tim_bays) October 6, 2015
‘oh just watching my favorite shows on freeform’ ‘on what?’ ‘freeform’ ‘what’ ‘freeform’ ‘what’ ‘freeform’ etc. etc pic.twitter.com/QKEFZ4uDGT — doctor pilot (@pilotbacon) October 6, 2015
Here you go, @ABCFamily. I decided to #Freeform with you as requested. pic.twitter.com/jPrJxxjdVD
— Myles McNutt (@Memles) October 6, 2015
ABC Family officially morphs into Freeform (FreeForm? #Freeform?) on Jan. 1, 2016.
Images via YouTube/Screenshot.
More in Marketing
Why Ducati is confident in Web3, despite the cold of crypto winter
Ducati has legitimate reasons to investigate Web3 tech as a marketing tool. Building a community of Ducati enthusiasts, or “Ducatisti,” has been a core element of the brand’s marketing for decades.
Research Briefing: Brands seem unsure about TikTok’s marketing potential, but TikTok Shop pitch may cause them to spend
In this edition of the weekly Digiday+ Research Briefing, we share focal points from Digiday’s recently released reports on agency and brand confidence in TikTok, and on how publishers are making Instagram work for them.
Inside Fandom’s mission to boost brand awareness among Gen Z gamers — with a little help from Instagram
While this is the first gaming related livestream Fandom has done with Instagram, it’s part of a bigger push to celebrate and embrace the vast gaming community among the Gen Z demographic thriving on Instagram’s platform.