JKR (Jones Knowles Ritchie)

JKR (Jones Knowles Ritchie)
Name	Jones Knowles Ritchie
Founded	1990
Founders	Joe Jones; Ian Knowles; Ian Ritchie
Headquarters	London
Industry	Design; Branding; Advertising

JKR (Jones Knowles Ritchie) Jones Knowles Ritchie is a global design and branding agency founded in 1990 in London by Joe Jones, Ian Knowles, and Ian Ritchie. The firm has expanded across Europe, North America, and Asia, working on packaging, identity, and digital projects for multinational corporations and cultural institutions such as Unilever, Diageo, Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo, Mondelez International. The agency sits among peers like Pentagram (design studio), Landor Associates, Wolff Olins, Sagmeister & Walsh and participates in industry networks alongside D&AD, AIGA, The One Show, Clio Awards.

History

Jones Knowles Ritchie was established in London in 1990 by founders inspired by the design movements linked to figures such as Neville Brody, Massimo Vignelli, Paul Rand, and influenced by studios like Pentagram (design studio), Saul Bass. Early work connected the agency to clients in the food and beverage sector including Unilever and Kraft Foods, leading to expansion into packaging and identity for brands associated with Nestlé, Heinz, Mars, Incorporated, and Tyson Foods. During the 2000s the firm opened offices responding to markets in New York City, Singapore, Shanghai, and San Francisco, aligning with regional industry events like Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, D&AD Awards, and collaborations with institutions such as Royal College of Art, Central Saint Martins, and Parsons School of Design.

Services and Specializations

The agency provides brand identity, packaging design, digital experience, motion graphics, and strategic brand consulting for companies including Procter & Gamble, Reckitt, L'Oréal, Pernod Ricard, and Heineken. JKR’s capabilities encompass visual identity systems used by clients like Adidas, Nike, Under Armour, as well as retail and point-of-sale design deployed for IKEA, Target Corporation, and Walmart. Their digital and experiential teams have delivered work integrating platforms such as Adobe Systems, Shopify, Salesforce (company), and technologies referenced alongside Apple Inc., Google, Microsoft tooling for interactive campaigns.

Notable Projects and Campaigns

JKR has led high-profile rebrands and packaging projects for multinational brands including identity refreshes for Budweiser, limited-edition packaging for Coca-Cola Company, and reformulations of visual systems for Mondelez International brands. The agency produced campaigns with experiential elements showcased at festivals like SXSW (South by Southwest), installations linked to London Design Festival, and collaborations with cultural partners such as Museum of Modern Art, Tate Modern, and Victoria and Albert Museum. JKR’s work on redesigning premium spirits packaging has intersected with houses like Johnnie Walker, Glenfiddich, and Absolut, earning attention in trade outlets such as Adweek, Design Week (magazine), and Campaign (magazine).

Clients and Industries

JKR serves clients across consumer packaged goods, technology, retail, hospitality, and luxury sectors including Unilever, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola Company, Diageo, Pernod Ricard, Procter & Gamble, Mondelez International, Nestlé, Heineken, Starbucks Corporation, McDonald's, Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury's, LVMH, Kering, Estée Lauder Companies, Samsung, Apple Inc., and Google. Industry collaborations extend to supermarket chains such as Tesco, Carrefour, Walmart, and e-commerce platforms like Amazon (company), as well as hospitality groups including Marriott International and AccorHotels.

Awards and Recognition

The agency has been recognized by industry organizations such as D&AD, Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, The One Show, Clio Awards, Design Week Awards, Creative Review Annual, and British Design Awards. JKR projects have won honors across categories for packaging, branding, and digital work, receiving mentions alongside laureates like Pentagram (design studio), Wolff Olins, Landor Associates, IDEO, and Frog Design at juried events hosted by institutions including Royal Society of Arts and publications such as PRINT (magazine).

Offices and Global Presence

From its London headquarters the firm expanded to operate studios in major global cities including New York City, San Francisco, Singapore, Shanghai, and Shanghai Tower-region offices serving Greater China. The network enables regional engagement with markets in United States, China, United Kingdom, and Singapore, and participation in local industry bodies like AIGA, Design Business Association, and event circuits including Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and London Design Festival.

Corporate Structure and Leadership

Founded by Joe Jones, Ian Knowles, and Ian Ritchie, the agency has evolved into a privately held company with leadership teams overseeing creative, strategy, and commercial operations, interacting with boards and investors typical to firms linked to Omnicom Group-scale networks and independent agencies like Pentagram (design studio). Senior leaders often engage with academic partners such as Royal College of Art and Central Saint Martins and present at conferences including SXSW (South by Southwest), Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, and D&AD Awards.

Category:Design companies Category:Branding agencies