Agatha Christie Limited launches new brand identity
Agatha Christie Limited has commissioned the award-winning London based design agency Studio Sutherl&, headed up by founding designer Jim Sutherland, to create a new brand identity that launches on Christie’s 127th birthday, Friday 15th September.
James Prichard, Chairman and CEO of Agatha Christie Limited said, “Christie is a clever and witty brand full of mystery, adventure and glamour. Capturing the essence of my great grandmother’s stories is no small feat, but gladly, Jim and the team at Studio Sutherl& have made a difficult task look easy. The beauty of what they have created is in its simplicity. And yet, look again and you’ll find there is more than meets the eye; hiding in plain sight, just like in my great grandmother’s own work.”
The brand redesign comes at a time when one of the author’s most famous titles is about to have a high profile Fox Studios release. Agatha Christie’s Murder On The Orient Express, directed by and starring Kenneth Branagh as Poirot, Penelope Cruz, Michelle Pfeiffer, Johnny Depp, Judi Dench, Daisy Ridley, Josh Gad, Leslie Odom Jr, Olivia Colman and Willem Dafoe will receive its world premiere on 2nd November.
Jim Sutherland, Founder Studio Sutherl& said,
“Christie’s books and characters are so intelligently crafted and I wanted the identity to reflect this. It’s a simple idea of a monogram drawn from a question mark and ‘c' to create the ‘a’. A central part of the concept were icons drawn to suggest each character all made from only question marks or exclamation marks. The question mark reflects the idea of mystery, suspense, intrigue, puzzles, suspects, secrets and lies. The exclamation mark then reflects the idea of reveal, surprise, uncover, discover, and twists. It’s such a delightful challenge working on such an iconic identity. You want to produce something memorable, thoughtful, simple and, ultimately, fitting as a tribute to the amazing material.”
Julia Wilde, Director of Business Development and Marketing said,
“Christie is a timeless brand, reinventing itself for each generation through the minds of the best creative talents. As more and more modern and inventive Christie productions are released globally, we felt it important to create an image that reflected our vision for Christie over the coming years.
In 2016, we were bowled over by the Agatha Christie centenary stamp collection that Studio Sutherl& created for Royal Mail. Their understanding of the brand and obvious creative talent made them the perfect partner to work with on this project.”
As well as the November film release of Murder On The Orient Express, Ordeal By Innocence, a Mammoth Screen and Agatha Christie Limited co-production for BBC One starring Bill Nighy, Anna Chancellor, Matthew Goode, Morven Christie, Anthony Boyle, Eleanor Tomlinson, Ed Westwick, Ella Purnell, Luke Treadaway and Crystal Clarke will be on screens in December, 2017. In October a new theatre production of Witness for the Prosecution will open in the unique setting of County Hall.
Studio Sutherl& was founded in 2014 by Jim Sutherland and was the most awarded design studio at D&AD in 2017. In 2001 Jim co-founded Hat-trick Design, consistently one of the top three most awarded design agencies in the UK (and number one in 2011). He has rebranded The Arts Society, Natural History Museum, Wimbledon Lawn Tennis, Williams F1, Prostate Cancer UK, Nation al Museums Scotland, Welsh National Opera, and University of Westminster. He has designed over 50 stamps to date for Royal Mail including the Agatha Christie set in 2016. He has won over 150 professional awards.
A note on Agatha Christie Limited:
Agatha Christie Limited (ACL) has been managing the literary and media rights to Agatha Christie's works around the world since 1955, working with the best talents in film, television, publishing, stage and on digital platforms to ensure that Christie’s work continues to reach new audiences in innovative ways and to the highest standard. The company is managed by Christie’s great grandson James Prichard.
