The BMW 3 Series is one of the most loved cars on the British road and has built a devoted fan base since launching in 1975. To celebrate its 40th anniversary we created not only a tribute to each generation of the model but also a tribute to each generation of fan that has loved the car.
Photography, typography, visual trends, and the wider cultural landscape of each era were studied so we could feed it back into the art direction; from the hacienda hues of the nineties to the minimalist whites of the noughties. What started originally as a domestic campaign quickly went global, widely receiving praise from within the industry.
Client: BMW
Formats: OOH and multi-format press advertising
Roles: Art direction, typography and design
FCB Inferno is an advertising agency based in Covent Garden, London. Whilst working there I created a series of posters to promote the agency culture and principles.
With a completely open brief, I set about creating a collection of abstract designs that were intended to differentiate from our usual commercial output as much as possible; legibility of text and rigid structure of layout became unnecessary objectives. I simply wanted to create visually striking works that stopped you in your tracks and encouraged closer inspection to communicate the message. My aim was that this created a deeper resonance with the viewer.
Client: FCB Inferno
Format: Posters
Roles: Art direction, typography and design
As part of a wider branding project I was involved in whilst working at FCB Inferno, I received the dream brief to create a piece of installation art. The work was to be a centrepiece in the main reception area and showcase the new branding to visitors of the agency.
The only requirement of the brief was to use the colours from the agency logo within the piece. I'd long been an admirer of the neon installations of Dan Flavin and decided that this was the medium I'd use. Stemming from the word inferno, I wanted to create a composition that invoked a feeling of movement and power which encouraged the viewer to engage with the piece. Using a two-way mirror for the front pane of glass created an infinity effect that drew you into the piece whilst reflecting your own image back at you. As the lighting conditions changed in the room, so did the appearance of the piece – a subtler presence in the daytime, an intense glow in the evenings. The work achieved its objective proving a hit with clients, employees and guests at Christmas parties alike.
Client: FCB Inferno
Format: Art installation
Roles: Conception, art direction and design
Production: Kemp London
BMW xDrive is one of the most technically advanced all-wheel-drive systems in its class. I created an art direction for the typography of a film that promotes the technology. Image and type layering were combined to create an enriched aesthetic to a film that used iron filings and magnets to communicate the traction and properties of the system.
Client: BMW
Format: Film
Roles: Art direction, typography and design
The BMW i8 Roadster is a hi-tech hybrid sports car that reinvented the identity of the genre. To promote its launch we created a premium DM pack along with some OOH advertising situated at Heathrow airport.
The DM pack drew on elements of the car's premium finish; from the copper foil blocking that echoes the paintwork of the new model to the incorporation of the actual material used for the roof. Thought and detail were put into every element to create a unique and premium piece.
Client: BMW
Formats: OOH and direct mail
Roles: Art direction, typography and design
We were approached by a drinks entrepreneur to create an anti-category premium gin brand that was to kick back against the imperious mainstream market which has become synonymous with craft gin. We conceived ‘Blood Monkey’; a name derived from the term 'bleeding the monkey', where 17th-century sailors would drill into their captain’s barrel to steal the liquor inside.
This rebellious spirit formed the tone of our brand. The messaging was simple; no-nonsense and cut the bullshit. We created a distinctive brand logo and produced a premium bottle design that used a spray-painted matt finish along with a copper foil. We inverted the traditional purpose of censorship and redaction for the brand typography, enlightening rather than withholding. We then went on to strategise and produce the social media presence for the brand. We designed and produced a website, advertising and event materials and art directed a photoshoot.
Despite being delayed by the events of 2020 the launch of Blood Monkey was a huge success, outselling Hendrick’s and Gunpowder Irish Gin in its leading independent outlets.
Client: Outcast Brands
Format: Branding, packaging, advertising, print and digital
Roles: Creative direction, art direction, typography, design and retouching
We were approached by the creators of a new scooter range to conceive their brand identity. Just before its launch, a competitor released a doppelgänger of the identity that had been created. It was a case of back to the drawing board, quickly.
My role involved reimagining a new brand identity, working with a logo that had already been designed and limited visual assets. As the brand evolved we created a series of films and images rooted in street culture. We rolled the brand out across various digital and printed touchpoints.
Client: KSR Group GmbH
Format: Branding, film, print and digital
Roles: Creative direction, art direction, typography, design and retouching
Eyestorm is a leading contemporary art gallery that creates and releases exclusive limited print editions by both established and emerging artists. Artists on the Eyestorm roster include Peter Blake, Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons, Helmut Newton and Ed Ruscha.
I was approached to develop and produce various brand elements and assets including logo design, brochures and booklets, corporate literature, invites and online elements.
Client: Eyestorm – online art gallery
Formats: Multiple print and branding
Roles: Art direction, typography and design
Jupiter Asset Management is a leading fund management company. We pitched a branding and print advertising concept to them based on an abstract representation of the fluid and constant movement of the solar system. This echoed the responsiveness of the Jupiter asset management strategy as well as linking back to the name of the company. A flexible system of circular grids was created that gave a cohesive yet diverse visual language.
Client: Jupiter
Formats: Branding and advertising
Roles: Art direction, typography and design
Disclaimer: This is a rebrand concept for Jupiter Asset Management Limited (“Jupiter”) which is not endorsed by Jupiter
The Driven Magazine is a twice-yearly lifestyle magazine published by BMW. We were given the chance to art direct and design a section of the magazine for the Spring/Summer issue.
Along with articles on BMW's history, the i8 hybrid sports car and an interview with the captain of the England rugby team, we shot BMW's Ultimate Driving Experience at Goodwood Motor Circuit with photographer Nigel Harniman.
Client: BMW
Format: Editorial
Roles: Art direction, typography, layout and design
As part of their range of driving experiences, BMW offers a selection of M-Performance training courses. Focussed on speed and exhilaration, they allow you to experience the tracks and training sessions usually reserved for professionals.
We produced a welcome pack that housed a variety of printed materials to introduce you to the day. I created bespoke illustrations of the circuits that feature the racing line, the names of the corners, and the entry and exit points to the venues. As well as being informative, we imagined the maps as souvenirs people may want to get framed as mementoes of their day.
An art direction that references the BMW M badge informs the overall design and typography. The packs are printed on premium stock to give a high-quality finish.
Client: BMW
Formats: Print and packaging
Roles: Art direction, illustration, typography and design
Change Please is an initiative from The Big Issue that supports people out of homelessness through training and employment in the speciality barista trade. 100% of the profits go towards ending homelessness.
As part of the wider branding project, I was briefed to design the coffee packaging that would find its way onto supermarket shelves up and down the country. A distinctive design was developed to ensure distinction from our competitors and the packs featured portraits of a selection of the baristas produced by the initiative.
Client: The Big Issue
Formats: Packaging and branding
Roles: Art direction, typography and design
Founded in 1930, Malaguti began life as an Italian bicycle and motorcycle company. In 2011 production at their headquarters in Bologna was halted and Malaguti consigned to the archives. In 2018 the company was bought by KSR Group who briefed us to resurrect the brand.
We rebuilt Malaguti from the ground up, producing a comprehensive suite of digital and printed materials. This included: updating the branding, directing photoshoots, designing and developing the website, producing their social media presence, creating guidelines and a brand toolkit, and designing graphics for the bikes.
In a short space of time, we enabled the brand to go to market. It reached over 5 million Instagram users and saw over 400,000 unique visits to the website in the first 12 months.
Client: KSR Group GmbH
Formats: Branding, film, advertising, print and digital
Roles: Creative direction, art direction, typography, design and retouching
Brixton Motorcycles are a successful motorcycle company that we created a distinctive brand identity for. As part of the development of that identity, we created a suite of illustrations based on the directions of the compass as used in the brand's logo.
Brixton has a tribal, global following and we wanted to create something that resonated with that market. We divided the world into four territories and looked to the indigenous species of animals in those areas to inspire us. To further strengthen these references we looked at the arts and crafts of those places and fed the appropriate styles into our art direction. It resulted in a unique cultural style for each Brixton animal. We visualised the application of these illustrations onto merchandise and custom motorcycle parts to show the impact and value of the assets.
Client: KSR Group GmbH
Format: Illustration for print, digital and merchandising
Roles: Creative direction and art direction
Illustration and design: Charis Lee
Zumba is an exercise and fitness program that originates from Colombia.
As part of its marketing and advertising campaign in the UK, I was briefed to design and create a typeface for use across its printed and digital communication channels. The design needed to reflect the energetic nature of the classes whilst remaining highly legible and distinctive.
Client: Zumba
Formats: Digital and print
Roles: Typography and design
Lambretta is an iconic and world-famous scooter brand. We pitched an advertising campaign to promote their new range of scooters.
We focussed the idea on Lambretta's heritage and created a diptych-like composition to enable us to create a contrast between old and new. We drew on their library of vintage imagery to communicate the past and used a minimal studio environment to represent the modern-day. Positioning the scooter in the middle of the layouts created a bridge between the two worlds, and we used a front-on angle to simulate the brand's 'face'. As the logo is so instantly recognisable, we obscured it with our image of the scooter, enforcing the 'larger than life' persona Lambretta scooters have.
Client: KSR Group GmbH
Format: Advertising
Roles: Creative direction, art direction, typography and design
'This Girl Can' was a nationwide initiative created by Sport England to encourage women to be more active. It had a hugely successful reception gaining universal praise and recognition. For the second instalment of the campaign, I designed and led the execution of the typographic layout of the ads.
I wanted the design to feel like an evolution of the first series, improving upon the already recognisable aesthetic and making them feel more contemporary. I gave the type a feeling of movement, making it work harmoniously with the images whilst ensuring the feel of the layouts was slightly unorthodox.
Client: Sport England
Formats: OOH and print advertising
Roles: Typography, layout and design
This is an ongoing personal project that uses the visual language of Letraset lettering sheets to create limited edition art prints. Each print has its own concept which then defines the characteristics of the typography and design.
I was lucky enough to have my ‘Nice and easy’ print selected for the Jealous Needs You 2018 Show, which spent a month hanging in the Saatchi Gallery.
Client: Personal
Format: Art prints
Roles: Creative direction, art direction, typography, layout and design
Valspar is the sixth largest paint manufacturer in the world who’s history spans over two centuries. We created an advertising and in-store promotional campaign for use across the UK.
My role involved leading and directing the typography and design of the ads. The brief requested a feeling of movement to the type so I experimented with physical distortion of the headlines. Once we'd settled on an appropriate style, headlines were set and distorted, photographed and then digitally manipulated to create the finished typography.
Client: Valspar
Formats: OOH and in-store adverting
Roles: Typography and design
With the alarming rise in knife crime over recent years, The Home Office launched an anti-knife crime campaign to raise awareness of the issue.
I was tasked with leading and directing the typography and design of the ads, along with the production of the campaign guidelines.
Client: Home Office
Format: OOH and print advertising
Roles: Typography, design, creation and production of guidelines
nPower launched a national campaign that celebrated 'family super powers'. These are talents possessed by real people – some extraordinary, others simple and sweet.
For the campaign, I created a typographic lock-up to be used in the digital, VOD, press and OOH advertisements.
Client: nPower
Formats: OOH and print advertising
Roles: Typography and design
A selection of logos and typographic lock-ups created from 2001 to the present day.
Client: Various
Format: Branding
Roles: Art direction, typography and design
'Scars and Memories' is a project by photographer David Woolfall. The photographs depict human physical scarring and the stories that led to their existence.
I created some posters to advertise and promote the exhibition at the Red Gate Gallery in Brixton.
Client: David Woolfall
Format: Posters
Roles: Art direction, typography and design
