Sotheby’s 2014 Redesign

Pentagram redesigned Sotheby’s identity, spearheaded by Abbot Miller. From their extensive post about the design and process:

“Miller’s new system establishes a cohesive look and feel across the company’s diverse locations and programs. The goal of the redesign was maintaining the image of a modern global brand while also reflecting the heritage of a company that has been in business for almost 300 years. Miller and his team developed a new wordmark (shifting from the previous Gill Sans-based sans serif to Mercury) and new design standards for stationery and related print collateral, auction catalogues, Sotheby’s magazine, the Sotheby’s website and app, advertising and promotions, signage and environmental graphics, and auction ephemera like aprons and bid paddles. The program began rolling out in September with the website, and will continue to influence all Sotheby’s communications. […]

A suite of typefaces ties the system together across various channels. Mercury is the primary typeface, with Benton Sans as the secondary font. Freight Display is a tertiary typeface employed for display and headlines. Miller commissioned the acclaimed type designer Akira Kobayashi of Monotype to draw custom Chinese characters for Sotheby’s Hong Kong wordmark that would pair gracefully with the Mercury.”