MTV ID's

One Small Step
August 1, 1981-February 3, 1986

Logo : We see some footage of Neil Armstrong's 1969 moonwalk, leading to a video where Neil puts up a flag. The flag says MTV: Music Television and the logo on the flag changes different colors.

Variant : There was an updated version featuring newer footage, which appeared in 1985. This was short-lived, however.

FX/SFX : Everything. This was done by Buzzco Associates in New York.

Music/Sounds : A rock tune that was composed by Jonathan Elias.

Music/Sounds Variant : On MTV's first day of broadcast, just before the jingle, a male announcer says "Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll."

Availability : Extinct.

Elephant
Logo: We see a pink elephant. There are some yellow flowers, which the elephant turns into "Music Television". Then, the elephant turns himself into the MTV logo.

FX/SFX: Clay animation. This was done by Curious Pictures in New York.

Music/Sounds: The elephant trumpeting with ambient nature sounds in the background.

Availability: Extinct.

Cats in a Cemetery
Logo: On a blue background, we see a statue with a square on it, and some cats jump over it. Then one of the cats crashes into the statue and the statue and the cat merge into the MTV logo.

FX/SFX: Scanimation. This was done by Curious Pictures in New York.

Music/Sounds: A bunch of cats meowing, and a bashful trumpet sound at the end.

Availability: Extinct.

French Fries
Logo: On a red tablecloth with a black M on it, we see some fries and a hand. After a off-screen voice says "Anybody got anything to eat?", the hand spins some ketchup on the fries. More hands take the fries, revealing the black M to be the MTV logo (without the "TV"). Four fries appear and form the "TV", then ketchup appears on them.

FX/SFX: Stop-motion animation produced by Colossal Pictures in Los Angeles.

Music/Sounds: A bunch of adults (Marcy Brafman, Alan Goodman, and Richard Schenkman) talking about fries and a bunch of random sound effects.

Availability: Extinct.

Freddie Buys It
Logo: Same as the "Sammie Buys It" (or "BubbleGum") ID, except there is a man instead of the girl, and the car runs over him.

Trivia: The man in the logo is Fred Seibert, creator of Frederator Studios. This ID was in celebration to him becoming vice president of Broadcast Arts (later Curious Pictures).

FX/SFX: Clay animation. This was done by Curious Pictures in New York.

Music/Sounds: A pop sound, a car screech when the car enters the screen, and a squish sound for when Fred gets hit by the car.

Availability: Extinct. This was short-lived since MTV didn't like the idea of a man getting hit by a car.

Bubblegum
Logo: We see a girl on a street, with a blank MTV logo on it. A girl licks his finger, and spits out some gum. Then, the girl screams "AAAHHH!", and runs away from a coming car. Then, a man steps on the gum and forms "TV" on the logo.

FX/SFX: Clay animation. This was done by Curious Pictures in New York.

Music/Sounds: A licking sound, followed by a bunch of sound effects

Availability: Extinct.

Metal Machine
Logo: We see a like

FX/SFX: Claymation Stop-Motion Animations

Music/Sounds: a synthetic rise plays at the beginning, then, when the caterpiller turned into a robot, a guitar theme plays, a MGM Tanner-Like Roaring sound

Availability: Extinct.

Bonnie
Logo: We see a cow named Bonnie in a field. We zoom over to the cow's spots.........and the MTV logo is one of them.

FX/SFX: Live-action produced by the late musician Tom Pomposello.

Music/Sounds: A short country piece, followed by a fast guitar riff at the very end.

Availability: Extinct.

Diving M
Logo: We see a girl, with an inner tube shaped like a seahorse, on a diving board. She jumps off, and her inner tube screams right at the screen. She falls into a pool shaped like the MTV logo, and cracks appear that form "TV".

FX/SFX: 2D animation produced by (Colossal) Pictures.

Music/Sounds: A trumpet fanfare, then a drum-roll and the inner tube screaming, and 3 more trumpet notes when the cracks appear.

Availability: Extinct.

MTV Birthday
Logo: We see a rocket ship in the clouds, landing past a monolith (actually a red cake). A spatula forms the hole south of the cake, and the rocket crashes into the cake, forming the MTV logo with a birthday candle.

FX/SFX: 2D animation produced by George Griffin.

Music/Sounds: Same as the "Man on The Moon" ID, but redone and different.

Availability: Extinct; this ID only aired once, on MTV's 1st birthday (which was August 1, 1982).

Scare Factor: None.

MTV Haircut
Logo: We see an Eraserhead scientist in white lab coat and spectacles ( some people might think its Ron Matz from WJZ 13) sleeps in an armchair in what is presumably his office. An animal skeleton on his bookshelf comes to life, grabs a pair of scissors, and proceeds to reshape the scientist’s tufty red hair. He wakes up, dismayed, to find that his hair has been styled into the MTV logo.

Trivia: TBA

FX/SFX: Mixed with Stop Motion and Live Action created by Henry Selick

Variant: A Warped version was used for MTV Fresh.

Music/Sounds: TBA

Availability: Extinct

Guillotine


Logo: During Daytime. We See A Guillotine's Blade Rise Up. Then A Black Glove-Clad Pulls A Lever. Sending The Blade Down. Then. An M-Shaped Disturbing Face Falls. Then One Of His Eyes Pokes Out. Still Being Held By The Organ

FX/SFX: Claymation Produced By Olive Jar Films In Boston. MA

Music/Sound: First We Hear A Crowd Chattering And A Creaking Sound From Ascending Blade. When Blade Descends. Off-Screaming Is Heard (Probadly From The Victim Of The Execution) And A Thud When It Lands. Afterwards. A Gag-Like Sound Is Heard When The Face Appears Along With The Wind Blowing. Finally. A " Sproing" Sound Effects Plays When The Eye Pokes Out

Availability: Extinct