Soho lost three longstanding brands this week as the facilities Blue, DGP and Rainbow Post were all renamed by their owners.

Blue, along with its sister companies Machine and Prime Focus London, will now be known by the name of their parent company, Prime Focus, as all three become part of a single global ‘visual entertainment services company’.

At the same time, DGP and Rainbow Post, now owned and operated by Gareth Mullaney (Broadcast 18.03.09), will be jointly called The Mews.

For Prime Focus, the change - announced at a glitzy ceremony in London on Tuesday - is the culmination of a three-year acquisition plan. It is designed to increase “clarity, coherence, consistency and common purpose”.

UK managing director Simon Briggs told Broadcast he wasn’t worried about ditching established names. “We’re respectful of the Blue brand but it’s all about the people,” he said. “They’re all staying and, although we have to carefully manage the transition for broadcast clients, I’m confident it is the right thing to do.”

For Mullaney, the rebranding decision was much more straightforward, as the two firms had been working as one since March.

He said: “Whilst DGP and Rainbow were both respected brands, the two companies have become one, and we have expanded our offering in other areas too, so this new group structure needs to be repositioned.  The Greek Street location in Portland House and Wedgwood Mews is a calm haven in the middle of Soho, so we felt the new name should reflect this.  Effectively offering some sanity in Soho.”

The Mews has also taken a temporary lease on the Dean Street facility previously occupied by Concrete, which closed in August.