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Brexit
The Uncivil War

Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, written by James Graham and directed by Toby Haynes, Brexit, The Uncivil War was an HBO and Channel 4 international co-production first aired in 2019.

Outthought was commissioned to specify and create artwork for typography used throughout the film including the logotype used in promotion, the title sequence, and on-screen captions and graphics used to introduce key characters and their allegiances.

Promotional poster for 'Brexit: The Uncivil War' featuring a man in an office setting, with text highlighting the film's title and tagline.
Serif font alphabet display with the phrase 'Gravitas Meet the Moment' in lighter text.
Ancient Roman relief sculpture depicting soldiers in battle, with detailed carvings of shields and armor on a stone surface.

Problems with typographic gravitas

Outthought was brought in to specifically solve a problem with typography. The Brexit campaign was rife with recognisable typographic styling – the utilitarian sans-serifs making outlandish claims about the NHS on the side of a bus, the ‘Take Back Control’ sloganeering, etc. However, the HBO and Channel 4 joint production wanted to take a different tack and rather refer to the momentous nature of the political moment.

Taking a cue from classical Roman stone carving on Trajan’s column (the product of an empire rife with political turmoil), Outthought created a typographic identity using the Trajan typeface to reflect the gravitas and historical nature of the moment.

Trajan's Column and the Church of Santa Maria di Loreto in Rome, Italy, with ancient ruins and scattered columns in the foreground.
Ancient Roman Latin inscription carved into a stone monument, featuring capitalized letters in traditional Roman script.
Title card for 'Brexit: The Uncivil War' with cloudy sky background.
Exterior view of Tate Britain museum, featuring classical architecture with columns, stairs, and banners reading 'TATE BRITAIN' and 'FREE FOR ALL.' Credits say 'Written by James Graham.'
Interior of a gallery with a spiral staircase, arched doorways, and a statue; text "with Rory Kinnear."
A man giving a speech outside a black door marked "10 Downing Street," with the year "2015" in large red numbers overlayed. Political party seat numbers are displayed at the bottom, showing "CON" 330, "LAB" 232, "LD" 8, "UKIP" 1, "SNP" 56, "OTH" 22.
Bronze statue of a man wrestling a serpent, displayed in an art gallery with paintings and visitors in the background.
A man standing in an art gallery with a neutral expression. Text overlay reads "Douglas Carswell, UKIP's Only MP" with a red "Leave" stamp.