Kingsley Manton and Palmer (KMP Partnership) took over the Cunard advertising account in 1966.
In order to sell the message of QE2’s modernity to as wide a public as possible Cunard also employed Crosby/Fletcher/Forbes, the multi-disciplinary design agency masterminded by the architect Theo Crosby. The result was a marketing and advertising campaign the like of which had never been seen before for the introduction of a new ship. Crosby had already been commissioned to design not only the Look Out Bar, while one of his partners, Alan Fletcher, who was a graphic designer, produced all of the signage throughout the ship. It was only natural that the graphic design brief should be extended to include Cunard’s publicity material as well.
The brochures designed to promote QE2 during the first few years in service were very stylish with bold graphics, bright colours and enticing lifestyle photography. Models wearing dark eye shadow and dressed in Paisley pattern shawls reclined on bright pink bedspreads, while foppish young men pouted in the middle distance. Meanwhile, beautiful people lined the cocktail bars, or lounged around the swimming pools.
However the interiors were documented in enormous colour detail by photographers such as Christian Ridley (DESIGN Magazine) and Sherban Cantacuzino (Architectural Review). While the exterior was captured by famous photographer John Jochmimsen who has just prouced a book on his photographic career and his time photographing QE2 is talked about in that.
