Seven use the power of pairings to deliver a brazen identity for talent agency Johnson&Laird

The OG talent agency, Johnson&Laird have been representing New Zealand’s best talent for over 20 years. Built on a ‘hard charging’ and ‘big hearted’ philosophy, J&L is dedicated to opening up New Zealand’s talent to the world stage. Whilst their dominance needed reaffirming, Auckland-based studio Seven ensured that this would by no means compromise their unapologetic confidence and bold approach. The resulting identity achieves this and more, showcasing what the talent agency thrives at – making great matches.

The type-forward identity is led by the concept of ‘This&That,’ and delivered boldly in Nizar Kazan’s sans serif TWK Lausanne. “We chose Lausanne for its beautifully crafted simplicity,” Design Director James Powell tells us, explaining the type choice. “The concept for J&L leans heavily on the brand voice and personality being loud and clear; Lausanne perfectly complemented that no BS attitude.” 

Mirroring this approach, they also introduced a strong colour palette consisting of black, white, blue and red, with the latter two being segmented to represent divisions of J&L’s business. “Johnson&Laird represent a broad range of New Zealand’s top tier talent from actors to social influencers, so to give clarity within the organisation red is used for creators and blue for performers,” Powell notes. This intense red hue is also turned up to the max within the brand’s photography, providing a backdrop for some unusual still life, putting an unexpected spin on each of the brand’s listed pairings. As a whole, this approach creates an ownable, recognisable theme and a thread of consistency throughout comms, whilst delivering wit and personality. 

Seven

Johnson&Laird