Marty Supremeis a 2025 Americansportscomedy-drama filmco-produced and directed byJosh Safdiefrom a screenplay he co-wrote withRonald Bronstein, loosely based on the life and career of Americantable tennisplayerMarty Reisman. Co-produced by and starringTimothée Chalamet, the film also featuresGwyneth Paltrow,Odessa A’zion,Kevin O’Leary,Tyler Okonma,Abel Ferrara, andFran Drescherin supporting roles. The main posters feature the title in a stretched and manipulated version ofGill Kayo Condensedand corresponding headers inNeue Helvetica Condensed, including its Heavy style. The billing block is set inBeeTwo. Eric Gill, the designer of Gill Sans, initially called the ultrabold style “Sans Double Elefans”. Released asKayo, derived from “K.O.” (i.e. knockout in boxing), it feels appropriate for the main movie title on the poster, as it is a very prominent typeface used in sports. The movie logo compared to a resetting in Gill Kayo Condensed with stretched letterforms. Various subsequent optimizations have been made, see for example the horizontals inTandE, the counters inAandY, or the bottom ofU. In the process, some glyphs likeRended up resemblingGill Sans Extra Condensed Bold. Timothée and Josh Safdie imitating the Marty Mauser pose at theMarty Supremeblack carpet in Los Angeles. hello friends For the last 18 months, Timothy Luke & I have been working on a top secret project together under the name Special Forces. We can now say that project is the visual identity, lead titles, and special production graphics for Marty Supreme. Full documentation v soon
The typography communicates a gritty, vintage sports authenticity with contemporary edge — channeling 1970s athletic competition culture while maintaining modern cinematic sophistication. The heavily manipulated Gill Kayo creates an aggressive, knockout punch energy that embodies the competitive spirit of table tennis champion Marty Reisman, while the supporting Helvetica Condensed grounds it in serious dramatic filmmaking.
Gill Kayo's boxing-derived name ("K.O.") creates perfect semantic resonance with competitive sports, while its ultra-bold weight and condensed proportions deliver maximum impact in poster layouts. The strategic manipulation of letterforms — refined counters in A and Y, optimized horizontals in T and E — shows sophisticated typographic craft that elevates beyond mere stretching. Helvetica Condensed provides necessary institutional credibility for A24's serious dramatic positioning.
The pairing creates dynamic tension between raw athletic aggression (manipulated Kayo) and refined cinematic authority (Helvetica Condensed). This hierarchy perfectly mirrors the film's duality — a sports story wrapped in prestige filmmaking. The condensed proportions across both fonts create visual cohesion while their weight contrast (ultra-bold vs. regular/heavy) establishes clear informational hierarchy from title to credits.