RTL Zwei

“RTL II” redirects here. For the Hungarian channel, see RTL II (Hungary). For other uses, see RTL2.

1993–1996	1996–1999	1999–2002	2002–2009
2009–2011	2011–2015	2015–2019	2019–present

RTL Zwei (stylised as RTLZWEI; Zwei is German for two) is a youth-oriented free-to-air television channel in Germany. It was originally launched in 1993 as RTL2 and known from 1999 to 2019 as RTL II (though it was often called RTL2). Unlike most other German RTL channels, RTL Zwei is not entirely owned by RTL Group, but is a joint venture with Bauer Media Group, The Walt Disney Company and Tele München Gruppe.

RTL Zwei was originally the second-most popular channel of Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland, after RTL Television, but VOX has since overtaken it. RTL, VOX and RTL Zwei largely compete for viewership with ProSiebenSat.1 Media’s main channels, ProSieben, Sat.1 and kabel eins.

RTL Zwei places its logo in the bottom right corner of the screen (like RTL’s news channel n-tv), unlike the other German RTL channels, which use the top left corner.

RTL2

1993–1996

RTL2 started broadcasting in March 1993. The original look for RTL2 was created by Novocom in the United States; a similar logo was used by CBS affiliate KGAN from 1993 to 2004.

1996–1999

RTL2 was given a makeover on 6 April 1996.

On-screen logo.

RTL II

1999–2009

Since its renaming to RTL II in 1999, the channel’s logo consisted of two vertical lines in a circle resembling a pause symbol, with the word RTL below it, reflecting its youth-oriented positioning.

1999–2002

2002–2009

2009–2019

From 2009 to 2019, the II symbol was placed in a filled-in circle, rather than in a ring.

2009–2011

RTL II got a new logo and look on 28 June 2009. The English slogan It‘s fun was introduced, which lasted until 2016.

• DWDL.de (1 and 2)
• Presseportal
• Designbote

HD logo (2010–2011).

The HD channel was launched in December 2010, the same month that the newly-launched Sixx from the competing ProSiebenSat.1 network launched its HD feed.

• DWDL.de (German)

2011–2015

RTL II received another new look on 10 August 2011. This graphics package contained several glowing 3D elements.

• The Branding Source (English) (contains links to other websites covering the rebrand)

HD logo (2011–2015).

2015–2019

RTL II received a new graphics package on 2 February 2015 that replaced the previous glossy 3D look with a flat, multicoloured look. The graphics were designed by Mehappy, a Munich-based branding agency. The on-screen typeface continues to be Helvetica Neue, which was introduced in 2009.

Competitor ProSieben rebranded ten days later, on 12 February, with a new graphics package.

• The Branding Source (English)
• DWDL.de (German)
• W&V (German)
• Mehappy

HD logo (2015–2019). Violet version.

Logo with violet and pink stripes.

Logo with yellow and orange stripes.

On 2 May 2016, the slogan It’s fun. from 2009 was retired and replaced by Zeig mir mehr! (meaning Show me more!). The rest of the graphics package remained unchanged.

• DWDL.de (German)

Slogan It’s fun (2015–2016). Yellow and blue version.

Slogan It’s fun (2015–2016). Violet and pink version.

Logo with slogan Zeig mir mehr (2016–2019).
Yellow and blue version.

RTL Zwei

2019–present

On 7 October 2019, RTL II was renamed to RTL Zwei (stylised as RTLZWEI) and introduced a new graphics package, designed by Mehappy (as in 2015). The pause symbol from the previous logos is now enclosed inside an open square frame, rather than a circle. The word zwei is written in full for the first time in the history of the channel.

The channel continues to use the Helvetica Neue font that has been used since 2009, as well as the slogan Zeig mir mehr!, introduced in 2016.

Blue version.

Pink version.

Yellow version.

Red version.

All links in German unless specified.

• Broadband TV News (English)
• Design Tagebuch
• Presseportal
• Horizont.net
• DWDL.de

RTL Zwei Blue 2.png

Blue version with white symbol and text.

RTL Zwei Mov 2.png

Pink version with white symbol and text.

RTL Zwei Yellow 2.png

Yellow version with white symbol and text.

RTL ZWEI Red 2.png

Red version with white symbol and text.