Get the London Look

A great promo video with some tip-top typography

I stumbled across a trio of promo videos for EF Language Centres a while ago but there’s something about them that still sticks in my mind.

While being beautifully shot and edited slices of city life, it’s the typography that really grabbed my attention. The skilful use of type really adds a sparkle to these promos, resonating beyond moving images. It also got me thinking – can a simple typeface sum up a city? Probably not, but as part of a graphic designer’s arsenal it can prove a valuable tool for invoking familiar cultural references and enhancing the effective communication of ideas.

Just for fun, here’s a few examples of cities and their possible typographic friends:

London is of course the classic Gill Sans, Paris and the chic Didot go together like croissants and coffee and New York gets some Broadway boogie-woogie courtesy of Avant Garde.