Harry Pearce and Pentagram create a new identity for Pink Floyd’s record label

Date
17 March 2017

Pentagram has created a new identity for Pink Floyd Records. The project saw the team, led by partner Harry Pearce, take the original lettering from the Animals album and extend it into an entire alphabet. The first boxset, comprising a mighty 27-discs covering the early years of 1965 – 1972, from the band’s famous Bedford van.

“Pink Floyd’s impact on music is immeasurable, and is only seconded by their impact of visual culture. Famed by their relationship with the design collective Hipgnosis, their LP covers are part of the cultural consciousness, creating moments of shared experience for millions of people around the world,” says Pentagram. “Harry worked closely with Aubrey Powell of Hipgnosis to create the visual identity for the label. Taking inspiration from the original lettering on 1977’s Animals record cover, Harry and team build a complete alphabet based on the album’s stencilled lettering in both outline and solid form. This lettering has been used to make a unique mark and headline font for the band and business.”

Inside the box set, which features preciously unreleased material including the band’s first recording, original artworks by John Whitely have been used on the CD booklet covers. “The box sets follow a simple one column grid and uses typewriter-esque typography to create an archival aesthetic, which is built upon through the careful arrangement of historical photographs of the band,” says Pentagram. “Harry has also written for the ‘outro’ of the upcoming book by Thames & Hudson, which will be titled Vinyl. Album. Cover. Art: The Complete Hipgnosis Catalogue to be published in April.”

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Each set features an original artwork by John Whiteley, in a distinct psychedelic oil on paper style.

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The full alphabet used in the Pink Floyd Record’s identity.

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The new alphabet was created in both solid and outline versions.

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Nick Mason with Pink Floyd’s famous Bedford van in 1965 (photo courtesy of the Pink Floyd Archive).

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The Bedford van influenced the design of the ‘The Early Years 1965-1972’ boxset.

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The Early Years 1965-1972’ boxset is designed in an archival style

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The archival aesthetic of ‘The Early Years 1965-1972’ is carried through the entire boxset, from cover to credits.

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The iconic typography on Pink Floyd’s Animals forms the basis of the typeface used in Pink Floyd Record’s identity.

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Pentagram created three cuts of the typeface for use at small, medium and display sizes.

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Pentagram established a set of rules to extend the Animals’ typography to include an entire alphabet.

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Owen Pritchard

Owen joined It’s Nice That as Editor in November of 2015 leading and overseeing all editorial content across online, print and the events programme, before leaving in early 2018.

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