Digital activation for Studio Canal's latest release

Some stories are immediate classics, taken straight to the hearts of those that hear them. Noel Coward’s Blithe Spirit is one of these tales, resurfacing every decade, reincarnated to entertain a different generation with its comically dark characters. The play was first seen in the West End in 1941, creating a new long-run record for non-musical British plays of 1,997 performances. The public’s love for the tale propelled it to appear on the airwaves, the silver screen and later onto television. 

Explore the digital experience at https://blithetarot.co.uk/

Digital engagement

This year, Dame Judi Dench leads an all-star cast in the latest film adaptation (shown exclusively on Sky Cinema). The heady mix of Dench and a theatre pedigree is perfectly pitched to capture the hearts of any audience. Inspired by the tale and the studio’s love of cinema from working with clients such as Studio Canal and DCM, we have created a hilarious and beautiful experience that takes the narrative of the film and turns it into a shareable digital destination. Users are invited into the mystical world of Madame Arcati (played by Judi Dench) to have their fortunes read, drawing them into the dark and playful world of Blithe Spirit.

Tarot has a long and rich history, the pantomime characters and layered symbolism have always drawn in creatives. Salvador Dali created his own surrealist deck in 1970 and more recently illustrators like Olivia Healy and Sophy Hillington have all put their own twist on the cards. Here, our bold designs draw from the 30s film styling and bring both the characters and architecture into the digital world with a comic twist.

Creating a mystical approach

“I’ve always had an interest in the mystical so this project really excited me. I wanted to find a balance between the traditional and my own illustrative style. The restricted colour palette and border gives that nod to the history of the practice while the elements from the film bring a different freedom to the designs. Hopefully the cards bring happiness and maybe some guidance to people searching for it. . . “ Louisa Hadjipetrou, Studiomade designer