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